Wheeling, W. Va. – Offense has been the key to the weekend for the Wheeling University Baseball team (16-10, 6-5) and that continued on Saturday. The Cardinals and Glenville State would play through the raindrops at Wheeling Park High School and the two teams split their doubleheader. Glenville State got the better of the Cardinals in game one with a 17-6 win, but Wheeling bounced back with an 11-8 win in game two to earn the split.

Game One: Glenville State 17, Wheeling 6

As the rain came down in Wheeling, it couldn't douse the firepower of either team's offense in game one The two teams combined to score 23 points in the first game and it was the long ball that powered the Pioneers throughout the day. The first of four Pioneer home runs would kick off the scoring as Mason Lot hit a three-run home run. Three more Pioneer runs in the top of the third made it a 6-0 game as the Cardinals began to battle back. In the bottom of the third, after the first two hitters were retired, Braden Killens stepped in with two outs and the bases empty. Killens would jumpstart the offense with hiss seventh home run of the year as the Cardinals were on the board, making it a 6-1 game. Scott Kondroik followed with a double and a wild pitch moved the runner to third. Thomas Kegerreis would follow with a double to bring home Kondroik and made it a 6-2 affair after three innings.

The next two innings would see two more Glenville State home runs, a three-run shot in the fourth and a solo home run in the fifth , to make it a 10-2 game. Wheeling would come through with their biggest offensive effort in the bottom of the fifth as they got to within four runs of the Pioneers. It was once again Killens who started things with a double and Kondroik would be hit by a pitch to put runners at second and third with nobody out. Two batters later, Spencer Craig would step up and delivered a three-run home run that made it a 10-5 game. The next batter was retired for the second out and the Cardinals would find new Iife with two outs. Bode Stewart would get things started with a single and Nic Ancelet followed with a walk to put two on and two outs.

Aidan Willard would step in and picked up a two-out RBI that brought home Stewart and made it a 10-6 game. However, this would be as close as the Cardinals would get as Glenville State scored seven unanswered runs over the final two innings of play In the bottom of the seventh, the Cardinals looked like they were once again going to get something going with two outs. Stewart and Ancelet would each reach on two out singles, but the final out was recorded and Wheeling would fall 17-6. It evened their MEC record at 5-5 on the season and, despite hitting two home runs, the Cardinals were unable to overcome the Pioneers. 

Braden Killens would lead the way for the Cardinals, finishing 2-4 with a home run and an RBI. It was Killen's team leading seventh home run of the season as he continues to be one of the top run producers in the conference. Spencer Craig would hit the second home run for the Cardinals, finishing 1-3 with a home run and three RBI. The final multi-hit game came from Bode Stewart, who finished 2-3, while Thomas Kegerreis and Aidan Willard drove in the final two RBI in the game.

Game Two: Wheeling 11, Glenville State 8

In the second game of the day, the offense was just as prominent as it was in game one. Glenville State would push across the first run in the top of the first and Wheeling responded in the bottom half of the inning. Aidan Willard would start things off with an extra base hit to the left-center field wall and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. It was a wild pitch that pushed home that first run and the game was tied at 1-1. Glenville State would push two more runs across in the top of the second, but the Cardinals would not go away. It was the start of a big day for Tyler Livingston in the bottom of the second, after Scott Kondroik doubled to start the inning. Livingston would come up with Kondroik still at second and two outs. He singled through the left side of the infield and Kondroik came around to score to make ktA 3-2 game after two innings.

Kody McCarley got the start and threw his first scoreless inning in the top of the third and his team would tie the game in the bottom half. A one out walk by Kaleb Scull would start things off, and he movefTo scoring position on a stolen base. With two outs he remained there and Riley Day would be hit by a pitch to put two on. Kondroik would draw a walk to load the bases and Spencer Craig would come through with a two-out single and the game was tied at 3-3. However, the tie would not last long as Glenville State put up another three-spot in the top of the fourth, with the big blow being two runs scoring on a fielder's choice and an error as the teams headed into the bottom of the fourth with Glenville State holding a 6-3 lead.

Wheeling would break the game open in that bottom of the fourth with a seven-run outburst. Tyler Livingston started things off with a single and a walk from Sammy Kondroik and a hit by pitch for Aidan Willard would load the bases with nobody out. Kaleb Scull would move the runners station to station with an RBI single as the Cardinals cut the score to 6-4. A wild pitch would bring home the Cardinal's fifth run of the day and two batters later Riley Day stepped in with one out. Day battled to a 3-2 count, fouling off several pitches before doubling to left-center field to give Wheeling their first lead of the day at 7-6. After the second out of the inning, Spencer Craig would draw a walk and Christian Boyles stepped in as a pinch hitter with two on and two out.

Boyles would rip an RBI double down the right field line to bring home another run and made it an 8-6 game. After a pitching change, Tyler Livingston would step in and delivered his biggest hit of the day, a two-run single that got the Cardinal's to double digits on the day with a 10-6 lead. Glenville State would get as close as 10-8, but a Scott Kondroik home run would put the game out of reach at 11-8. Starting pitcher Kody McCarley would keep his team in the game, throwing 6.0 innings allowing eight runs, four earned, on 11 hits while walking three and striking out six. Jagger Iovnelli would come in for a save situation in the top of the seventh and got the job done with a 1-2-3 seventh, capping things off with a strikeout to close out the victory.

Leading the way for the Cardinals was Tyler Livingston, who finished 3-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Livingston now has six RBI over his last two games as he has been a big run producer for the team. Riley Day would be the other Cardinal to drive on multiple runs on the day, finishing 1-2 with a double and two RBI. Six different Cardinals would drive in runs on the day as the offense helped Wheeling to an important 3-1 Easter as they rounded out MEC South play.

The Wheeling University Baseball team returns to action on Tuesday, April 2nd, when they hit the road to face Walsh with first pitch at 3 PM.