Before the Cardinals even took the field, the offense got them going as Brett Johnson single to start the game. He would steal second during the next at bat before Dylan Maltby Drew walk to put runners at first and second with one away. Steven Merkel what step in and lined an RBI single to right field bring home Johnson and giving Wheeling a 1-0 lead. A double play ball would end the inning, but starting pitcher Wes Landis would take the mound with the lead. The West Chester Offense would get that run back in the bottom half of the inning, courtesy of an RBI single of their own and the game was tied 1-1 after an inning of play. Both pitchers had their best stuff working early, trading zeros in both the second and third innings to keep it a 1-1 score.
 

Wheeling with threaten in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with one out, but a double play ball would end the inning. West Chester was able to break through once again in the bottom of the fourth, striking for a pair of runs on an RBI double that gave them a 3-1 lead. Landis would throw a scoreless bottom of the fifth before handing the ball to the bullpen for the final four innings. It was another solid outing for Landis, who threw 5.0 innings, allowing three runs on five hits while walking one and striking out five. Lamont Aikans would take the ball in the 6th, and surrendered a run over 0.2 innings of work to make it a 4-1 West Chester lead. A three spot in the bottom of the seventh would extend the Golden Ram lead to 7-1 before the Cardinal offense got going in the top of the 8th.
 

Josh Rush would pinch hit to start the inning and drew a walk, followed by a Johnson Walk to put two on and nobody out. Christian Boyles what step in and drive home Wheeling's second run of the game with an RBI single to make it a 7-2 game. With runners at the corners, Maltby brought home the second run of the inning with a groundout to make it 7-3. Merkel would be hit by a pitch and moved to scoring position on a pass ball to put runners at second and third with one out. Keaton Ferrence would walk to load the bases and Spencer Craig followed right behind him to get the Cardinals within three runs at 7-4. However, the Golden Rams would put the game out of reach with a seven run bottom of the eighth, and the Cardinals would fall to West Chester 14-4.
 

Leading the way for the Cardinals was Steven Merkel, who finished 2-3 with an RBI. He would drive in the Cardinal's first run of the game in the first and put together a multi-hit day. Brett Johnson added a multi-hit game of his own at the top of the lineup, going 2-4, while Christian Boyles and Dylan Maltby each drove in runs. The Cardinals look to close out the weekend with a win to round out the weekend in Cary.
 

The Wheeling University Baseball team returns to action on Sunday, March 2nd, when they take on St. Thomas Aquinas with first pitch at 9:30 AM.