Wheeling, W. Va. - After a hard fought regular season, the Wheeling University Softball team (9-41, 4-22) wraps up 2024 this weekend as they hit the road for the final time. They open the weekend on Saturday with their final Mountain East Conference (MEC) doubleheader of the year against Notre Dame College at 2 PM before wrapping up the season Sunday against Salem at 4 PM. Wheeling looks to end the season strong in their final weekend as they look to continue to grow this offseason and come back even stronger for 2025.
Last time out, they wrapped up the home portion of their schedule when they took on the #1 seed in the MEC North Division in Fairmont State. Both games were back and forth affairs, but in game one it was Fairmont State that jumped out to an early lead, scoring the first three runs of the game. Wheeling answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth, but they ended up falling just short in a 4-3 loss. Game two followed a similar trend, with Fairmont State once again jumping out to an early 5-0 lead over the first three innings. In the bottom of the third, Wheeling responded with a five-spot of their own to tie the game at 5-5. The Falcon offense would finish up the scoring, putting up the game's final three runs as they went on to win 8-5.
It was a hard-fought day throughout for the Cardinals, but no one worked harder than Cardinals starting pitcher Ryleigh Peters. Peters took the ball in both games, throwing a pair of complete game efforts on the day. In game one, she would throw all 7.0 innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on nine hits while walking two batters. She took the ball again for the Cardinals in game two, and duplicated her 7.0 inning performance, this time allowing eight runs, six earned, on 11 hits while walking two. Peters has been the team's workhorse all season long, leading the way with 122.1 innings pitched and 16 complete games. She also sits second among eligible pitchers on the team with an 8.83 ERA through 25 appearances and she looks to finish out a strong freshman campaign.
On the offensive side, the Cardinals had two different leaders emerge, with Anna Florczak taking charge in game one and Makie Paxson leading the way in game two. In the first game Florczak was one of just two Cardinal players to finish with multiple hits on the day, finishing 2-3 with an RBI. Her RBI would end up being the game-tying hit in the bottom of the fifth as she brought home Chyla Miller with an RBI single. In game two, it was Paxson's turn as she finished 1-2 with two RBI and a run scored. It was a two-run home run that brought home that pair of runs in the top of the fifth and started the five-run inning that would tie the game for the Cardinals.
As they enter the final weekend of the regular season, the Cardinals still have a chance to finish with one of their best seasons in recent years. They are just one win away from reaching the 10-win mark for the first time since the 2022 season, and if they can win all four games this weekend, they will equal that 14-win mark they hit in that campaign. The Cardinals have been playing some of their best softball over the last few weeks, going 5-10 over their last 15 games while scoring three or more runs in eight of those 15 games. The offense looks to continue providing support for their pitcher as they play through their final four games.
The Matchups
Notre Dame College: The Cardinals and Falcons will be meeting for the 42nd and 43rd time in program history on Friday, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 22-19. The Cardinals have played better in South Euclid, Ohio in their history, winning 10 of 17 matchups their compared to 11 of 21 matchups at home. The Cardinals have lost the last six in a row dating back to April 29th, 2022, and look to get back on track as they wrap up the 2024 season. Earlier in the year, the Cardinals hosted Notre Dame College and ended up falling by scores of 9-1 an 6-2.
Salem: The Cardinals and Tigers are meeting for the 10th and 11th times in program history on Saturday, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 5-4. When they travel to Salem, the Cardinals are 3-3 in six pervious meetings while holding a 1-1 record at home. It has been an offensive series for the Cardinals, who average 6.56 runs per game all-time and five or more in four of the last six meetings. The two teams met earlier in the season, with the series being split. Salem took the win in game one 5-6 before the Cardinals came back and took game two 6-3.
The Details
First pitch for Friday's weekend opener at Notre Dame College is scheduled for 2 PM at Normandy Field on the campus of Notre Dame College. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
