Box Score Charleston, W. Va. - The first round of the 2024 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament kicked off Wednesday afternoon at GoMart Ballpark in Downtown Charleston, West Virginia. The Wheeling University Baseball team (25-25, 13-15) began their tournament run against the #1 seed from the MEC South, the University of Charleston. Wheeling battled throughout the day, but in the end they would fall to the Golden Eagles 10-0 in seven innings.

Kenny Jinks would get the start for the Cardinals and early on, he was attacking the strike zone. He retired the Golden Eagles in order in the bottom of the first, with a flyout to right field ending the inning with the score sitting at 0-0. He would run into his first bit of trouble in the top of the second as Charleston loaded the bases with two outs. Unfortunately, Charleston would get on the board as a two-out grand slam turned a 0-0 game into a 4-0 Charleston lead after two innings of work. The Golden Eagles would add two more runs in the third and two in the sixth to make it an 8-0 Charleston lead after six innings. Jinks would end up throwing 6.0 innings allowing eight runs on seven hits, while walking three and striking out two.

The lone Cardinal hit of the day came in the first inning as with two outs, Christian Boyles would reach on a two-out single. Despite that being the only hit on the day, the Cardinals did get runners on base throughout the day. They had at least one runner on in five of their seven innings on the day, including multiple runners on a few different occasions. Their biggest threat of the day would come in the top of the fifth when Scott Kondroik drew a one-out walk and Kaleb Scull followed with a hit by pitch. However, a double play would end the threat and keep it a 6-0 game after four and a half innings. In the top of the seventh, the Cardinals would also get two runners on as Spencer Craig drew a walks and Kondroik walked with two outs. Scull sent a deep fly ball to right field, but it would fall on the warning track ending the threat.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Cardinals sent Josh Wessler to the hill, and he started things strong with a flyout after the first batter of the inning reached. However, Charleston would load the bases and Head Coach Ryan Lewicki turned to Carson Ashby out of the bullpen. Ashby would get the second out of the inning, but a single would end the game as Charleston reached the 10-run plateau, bringing the game to its final score of 10-0.

Leading the way for the Cardinals was Christian Boyles, who finished 1-3 with the team's lone hit of the day. Boyles continues to be a strong bat at the top of the lineup and looks to continue that into day two. Scott Kondroik would reach base twice via the walk and Spencer Criag and Bode Stewart would each draw walks to round out the day. Thomas Kegerreis and Kaleb Scull were the other two Cardinal base runners, each reaching on a hit by pitch.

The Wheeling University Baseball team faces an elimination game on Thursday, where they will take on the loser of #1N Frostburg State and #3S West Virginia State, with first pitch at 7 PM.