Wheeling, W. Va. - With rain in the forecast late this week, the Wheeling University Softball team (8-36, 3-17) will be playing their midweek matchup one day early. The Cardinals welcome West Liberty University into the J.B. Chambers I-470 Complex on Tuesday as they wrap up the season series of "The Battle for Wheeling" at 3 and 5 PM. Wheeling looks to avenge a doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Hilltoppers earlier this season and get back in the win column during the final two weeks of the regular season.
Last time out, the Cardinals went on the road to face Davis & Elkins as they wrapped up their weekend of doubleheader action. In the first game of the day, Davis & Elkins would get on the board early, but both pitchers had their stuff working early on. The one run would be it for either team over the first three innings of play before Davis & Elkins broke through with seven unanswered runs over the next two innings. Wheeling would attempt a comeback effort, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh, but ended up falling 7-2. In the second game of the day, Davis & Elkins once again started the scoring, this time putting up four runs in the bottom of the second. The Cardinals got a home run in the top of the fourth, but that would go down as their only score of the day as they fell by the final score of 7-1.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was freshman Chyla Miller, who has found a home for herself in the #2 hole in the Cardinal's order. She would go 4-8 between the two games against Davis & Elkins with four singles and a run scored as she led the way for the team. Miller has gotten going over her team's last eight games, hitting .480 (12-25) with two doubles and three RBI as she helped the Cardinals go 3-5 during that eight game stretch. During that span, Miller has raised her season average to .298 across 57 at-bats while holding a .634 on-base percentage. She looks to continue her tear over the final two weeks of regular season play as she tries to help the Cardinals make a final push for the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament.
During this eight game stretch, the Cardinals have also seen a big power stroke, hitting three of their 13 home runs this season during that eight game stretch. Against Davis & Elkins, it was Cassie Feyh that supplied the power, hitting her second home run of the year in the top of the fourth to get the Cardinals on the board. Feyh has been the top bat for the Cardinals this season, hitting .331 across her 44 games played this season, covering 127 at-bats. The other home run came at the start of the week when Anna Florczak hit a solo shot against Concord and added another blast in the weekend opener against West Virginia Wesleyan. Florczak sits second on the team with three home runs this season, one off the pace of Madison Kay, as she looks to keep her success going over the final two weeks.
With eight more conference games left on the schedule, the Cardinals are trying to make a push for the final playoff spot out of the MEC North Division. They currently sit six games back of West Liberty for the final playoff spot, making Tuesday's doubleheader a big one for the Cardinals. If they can sweep the Hilltoppers on Tuesday, the Cardinal's path to the MEC Tournament gets a little bit easier, as they get to within four games of the Hilltoppers entering the final two weekends of the regular season. The Cardinals are looking to make the tournament for the first time since the 2018 season and look to start the final push Tuesday.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Hilltoppers are meeting for the 45th and 46th times in program history on Tuesday afternoon, with West Liberty leading the all-time series at 23-21. The Cardinals are 9-11 in 20 previous meetings in a series that has been back and forth throughout its history. However, West Liberty has had the upper hand as of late, winning seven of the previous eight meetings dating back to April 20th, 2022.
In their first doubleheader of the year, West Liberty would pick up a pair of wins by scores of 8-4 and 6-0. In the first game, Brooke Slomkowski would lead the way with three RBI in the effort while Cassie Feyh went 1-4 with an RBI on the day. In game two, three Cardinals would finish 1-3 on the day, with Jenna Hollerich, Madison Kay, and Makie Paxson each finishing 1-3 on the day.
The Details
First pitch for Tuesday afternoon's game is scheduled for 3 PM at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Complex. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
