Wheeling, W. Va. - After opening the first leg of their spring training trip on Sunday, the Wheeling University Softball team (3-11, 0-0) took a few days off to continues their training. The next leg of that spring trip kicks off on Thursday as the Cardinals are back in the state of Virginia for doubleheader action against Emory & Henry College. The Cardinals will be looking for their first win of the stretch as they prepare for what's coming up in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play.
Last time out, the Cardinals played the second game of their spring trip when they took on Kings University in doubleheader action. The Cardinals offense would get started early in both games, and took the lead with two runs in the top of the first inning in game one. The two teams would go back and forth throughout that first game, with the score sitting tied at 3-3 entering the bottom of the fifth. However, solo runs in the fifth and sixth by the Tornados would be enough to get the win as the Cardinals fell 5-4. In game two, the Cardinals would once again take an early lead with a run in the top of the second, but that was the only Cardinal run of the day as they fell to the Tornados 6-1 to take the doubleheader sweep.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was freshman Madison Kay, who continued her power surge to start the season. She would get the Cardinals on the board in the top of the first with a two-run home run as she finished 1-3 with a home run and two RBI. Kay has now hit four home runs in her first 12 collegiate games and brings her average on the season to across 35 at-bats. She is tied for second in the MEC with her four home runs this season, while sitting seventh in RBI (12) and 10th in both OPS (1.166) and Slugging Percentage (.771). Kay looks to continue leading the middle of the Cardinal's lineup as they look for more production throughout the season.
The Cardinals have also gotten a strong offensive performance from infielder Cassie Feyh, who leads the team with a .477 average through 14 games. In the doubleheader against King, Feyh would finish 2-5, with both hits coming in game one of the series. Feyh has had multi-hit efforts in seven of her 14 games this season as she continues to be a hot hitter in the top of the lineup. Along with their work on offense, the Cardinals have gotten good work in the circle from freshman Ryleigh Peters. She has allowed three earned runs or less in three of her last four starts, pitching to a 6.42 ERA during that stretch, The Cardinals look for Peter's continued growth as they try to get leadership in the circle.
The Cardinal's spring trip continues throughout the week, with two more doubleheaders including the matchup with Emory & Henry.With just a week and a half left before they jump into MEC play, the Cardinals are looking to get back in the win column before the stretch run. They have one doubleheader sweep so far this season, with their other win coming in a split against Hillsdale College. The Cardinals have been battling on offense, holding the third highest batting average in the conference at .312 while scoring the fourth most runs with 65. The offense looks to continue to be a driving force for the team as they head towards conference play.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Wasps are meeting for the first time in program history on Thursday in Emory, Virginia. So far through eight games, the wasps hold a 5-8 record overall and an 0-2 record in Conference Carolinas play. The Cardinals look to open the all-time series with a bang as they continue their spring training trip.
The Details
First pitch for Thursday' doubleheader is scheduled for 1 PM on the campus of Emory & Henry College. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
