Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Wheeling, W. Va. – After splitting their doubleheader to start the weekend, the Wheeling University Baseball team (23-22, 11-13) was looking for a weekend win to wrap things up. They took game one 4-2 and, after falling behind in game two, put together a five run seventh inning. However, it fell just short as the team split the day with a 12-11 loss in game two to end the weekend with a split against the Tigers.

Game One: Wheeling 4, Salem 2

After splitting day one, the Cardinals looked to come out and make a statement in the first game of their day two doubleheader. Nicholas Martinez would get the start for the Cardinals and got a big double play after allowing a run in the top of the first to keep it a 1-0 game. After throwing a scoreless second, the offense would get him some run support in the bottom of the second. Thomas Kegerreis stepped up to start the inning and delivered a leadoff home run that tied the game at 1-1 after two innings. After that first inning run, Martinez would settle in, keeping Salem off the board for three straight innings. He allowed his final run of the game in the top of the sixth but finished off a strong outing. He would throw 5.1 innings allowing two runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out six. Thanks to a big bottom of the third, it would be more than enough for the Cardinals to swap the game.

In that third inning, a little bit of Tiger wildness would get things started as Christian Boyles and Nic Ancelet would draw back-to-back walks and a Kegerreis hit by pitch would load the bases with nobody out. The Cardinals would take the lead when Scott Kondroik lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Boyles, and the Cardinals would go up 2-1. The Cardinals would then get back-to-back run scoring singles from Spencer Craig and Kaleb Scull as the Cardinals extended their lead to 4-2. Wheeling would end up getting two runners in scoring position with two outs on a wild pitch, but it was a strikeout that ended the inning as the Cardinals maintained their 4-1 advantage. After Martinez left the game, the Cardinal bullpen was able to shut things down and hold the two run lead.

The first call went to reliever Sebastian Khan, who entered in a tough situation with runners on first and third and just one out. The Tigers would try and lay down a safety squeeze and Khan fielded and kept the runner at third. He then came back with a big strikeout and the Cardinals headed into the bottom of the sixth with a 4-2 lead. Hunter Dyck would come on for the top of the seventh and, after allowing Two-out double, was able to shut the Tigers down and pick up his third save of the season. The Cardinals took the series lead with the win, taking two of the first three games of the series, with the nightcap of the doubleheader giving them a chance for a series win.

Leading the way for the Cardinals was Spencer Craig, who finished 2-3 on the day with an RBI. After missing the midweek game against IUP, Craig has come back with a strong series so far and was one of two Cardinals with multiple hits in the game. The other player to have a multi-hit effort was Christian Boyles, who finished 3-3 with a walk and a run scored. Thomas Kegerreis would add a home run and an RBI in the game while Kaleb Scull drove in the final run with an RBI of his own. The Cardinals headed into game two looking for the sweep and the series win.

Game Two: Salem 12, Wheeling 11

With a chance for a sweep of day two on the line, the Cardinals sent Jagger Iovinelli to the mound to make the game four start. He started things with a bang, throwing a 1-2-3 top of the first before the Cardinals got their first run in the bottom of the first. Aidan Willard would get hit by a pitch to start the inning and moved to second on a groundout to put a runner in scoring position with one out. He would come home on an RBI single from Christian Boyles and the Cardinals were staked to a 1-0 lead after one. Iovinelli allowed one base runner in the top of the second  via a walk, but retired the final three batters to keep it a 1-0 Cardinal lead. However, the tides would turn in the top of the third as the Tigers got going with a four-spot that gave them their first lead of the day at 4-1.

The Cardinals would answer in their half of the third inning, as Scott Kondroik led things off with a walk. He remained on first with two outs before a walk to Aidan Willard would put two on for Braden Killens. Killens came through with a two-out single to score Kondroik and Christian Boyles would follow with a single to score Willard and make it a one -run game at 4-3. However, Salem's offense would have the advantage throughout the middle portion of the game, adding four runs in the fourth and two runs each in the fifth and sixth innings as they built a 12-3 advantage. The Cardinals would use four pitchers on the day, with Carson Ashby, Dominic Parker-McDonald, and Ethan Wendell all pitching out of the bullpen. The Cardinals had one last chance in the bottom of the seventh and nearly completed the comeback.

The inning began with a walk by pinch hitter Drew Sefsick to put one on and nobody out. Juan Almonte would be the second pinch hitter of the inning and he got the scoring started with an RBI double that made it a 12-4 game. Nick Martinez would pinch hit and be hit by a pitch, and subsequently ran for by Dylan Maltby, while a pinch hit walk for Carlos D'Amato would load the bases. Riley Day and Nic Ancelet would each work their way on, drawing walks on 3-2 counts and the Cardinals cut the Salem lead to 12-6. After back-to-back strikeouts, it looked like the rally would come to an end, but pinch hitter Tyler Livingston stepped in with two outs. He would deliver the biggest hit of the day, a grand slam that cut the lead to 12-11. However, that's where the comeback effort would end as a flyout to end the game.

The Wheeling University Baseball team will return to action on Friday, May 3rd, when they host West Liberty with first pitch at 1 PM.