Wheeling, W. Va. – With spring break in full effect at Wheeling University, the Wheeling University Softball team (0-6, 0-0) is making their way down south. They will compete in 10 games over the span of six days as they head to Melbourne, Florida, with the week kicking off on Sunday. The Cardinals will play the first six games from Sunday through Tuesday, taking on six different opponents.
Last time out, the Cardinal offense had their best day of the season as they welcomed in Gannon University. Game one would be played on the outside field with in both teams having to deal with Gusty winds throughout the afternoon. Gannon would jump out in front early, scoring seven runs over the first two innings of play. Wheeling had one answer in the bottom of the first, but pitching kept the game alive throwing up back-to-back zeros. The Cardinals would play their first full seven-inning game of the season as they fell 9-3. The teams would move inside for game two, and the Cardinals would jump out in front with two runs over the first three innings. However, it was a late rally that would down the Cardinals as they fell 12-4 and ended up taking their third sweep of the season.
Leading the way for the offense was Amber Morgan, who combined to go 5-8 with two doubles and four RBI between the two games. In the first game of the day, Morgan was a part of all three Cardinal scoring plays, driving in the first run reaching on an error and adding an RBI double later in the game. Game two was her first three-hit game of the season, including an RBI double that tied the game in the top of the fifth. Through the first six games of the season, Morgan has been the Cardinal's top hitter, batting . 563 (9-16) with two doubles and four RBI. She is also the team leader in hits (9), RBI (4), doubles (2), and total bases (11) as part of her hot start. She will look to lead the Cardinals on their Florida trip to get them ready for what they will face in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play.
In the second game, the Cardinals turned to their veteran in the circle, Maria Clark to lead the way. Clark would hold the Golden Knights at bay early, not allowing a run through the first four innings of the game before the Golden Knights got on the board. She has made three appearances, two starts, for the Cardinals and holds a 7.29 ERA while leading the team in innings pitched (12.1) and tying for the team lead with nine strikeouts. The other star at the plate for the Cardinals was Ava Kresak, who had a pair of multi-hit games from the top of the lineup. She would go 5-8 between the two games, while scoring three of the team's seven runs on the day. Kresak sits right behind Morgan with a .471 average on the season, going 8-17, and looks to continue being a spark plug at the top of the lineup.
After dropping their first six games of the season G the Highlands Sports Complex, the Cardinals are hoping the warm weather gets them back on track. Last season, the Cardinals took their spring training trip to schools in Virginia and Tennessee and finished 0-8 across the four days of competition. Their last win on a spring training trip came during the 2023 season when they beat Holy Family in the opener of The Spring Games. Among their opponents during the week are four in-region opponents, with three of those coming in the opening half of the week. They will play six games over the first three days of the trip, before taking an off day on Wednesday to recover. The Cardinals are looking to start strong and get momentum in the warmer weather.
The Matchups
Bridgeport: Wheeling and Bridgeport are meeting for the first time in program history on Sunday. Bridgeport enters the contest sitting at 1-3 after being swept by Saginaw Valley last time out. During the 2024 season, they would finish 27-23 overall and qualified for the NCAA East Regional Championship tournament.
Davenport: The Cardinals and Panthers are meeting for the first time in program history on Sunday. The Panthers are sitting at 2-2 on the season and kicked off their spring training trip on Saturday and split their opening two games. Last season, Davenport finished 15-31 and are looking to up their win totals in 2025.
Holy Family: The Cardinals and Tigers are meeting for the fifth time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 3-1. Each of the previous four meetings have been at neutral site locations, and it has been a high scoring series for the Cardinals, who have averaged 5.25 runs per game. Their last meeting came on March 6th, 2023, in a game the Cardinals would win 9-4.
Roosevelt: The Cardinals and Lakers are meeting for the first time in program history when they meet on Monday. The Lakers sit at 4-4 to start the season and will begin their spring training trip with a matchup against MEC opponent Davis & Elkins. Last season, the Lakers finished 17-22 and are looking to improve their win total this season.
Saginaw Valley: The Battle of the Cardinals will happen for the second time in program history when the two teams meet on Tuesday. Saginaw Valley leads the all-time series at 1-0, with the only meeting between the two teams coming at neutral site locations. It is the first time in 10 seasons that the two teams are meeting as they come together once again in Florida. Their first meeting came on March 2nd, 2015, in a game Saginaw Valley would win 11-3.
Walsh: The Cardinals and Cavaliers are meeting for the eighth time in program history, with Walsh leading the all-time series at 6-2. It will be the third neutral site match between the two teams, with the series being split in Wheeling at 1-1 while Walsh leads the road series at 2-0. Wheeling is averaging three runs per game in the series and looks to get the offense going. Their last meeting came on April 10th, 2024 with Wheeling winning game one 6-5 before falling 6-1 in game two.
The Details
The 2025 Spring Training trip kicks off later tonight when the Cardinals battle Bridgeport with first pitch at 6:30 PM.
