Cary, NC. – After two hard fought days of action, the Wheeling University Baseball team (4-3, 0-0) wrapped up their weekend in Cary, North Carolina on Sunday. The offense packed its biggest punch of the weekend, putting up 11 runs in an 11-4 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas. Four different Cardinals finished with multi-RBI efforts as they ended the weekend with a win to round out their spring training trip.

Jaden Wilcox would make his second start of the season and put together the strongest start of the season so far. He allowed two base runners over the first two innings, while striking out a batter to end the bottom of the second. With the score sitting at 0-0 heading to the top of the third, the Cardinals would break through as with one out Cade Lacy would be hit by a pitch with one out. Brett Johnson would be hit by a pitch and Josh Rush would draw a walk to load the bases for Dylan Maltby. Maltby would line the ball into the left field corner and Lacy and Johnson would cross the plate to make it a 2-0 Cardinal lead. With two outs, Nicholas Schultz stepped in and brought home both runners to give the Cardinals a 4-0 lead. Spencer Craig picked up Schultz with an RBI double and after two and a half innings it was a 5-0 Cardinal lead.

The Cardinal offense continued in the top of the fourth as Lacy got things started again with a one-out walk. Johnson followed with a double that put runners at second and third, and Rush would be hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Maltby would step in with the bases loaded for the second time on the day, and delivered once again with a sacrifice fly to make it a 6-0 affair. Keaton Ferrence would step in and picked up his first RBI with a line drive to right field that moved runners station to station. The Cardinals would hold a 7-0 lead after four innings of work. Wilcox would put up three more zeros to end the day, as he finished six shutout innings and kept the Cardinals in front 7-0.

Wilcox would finish 6.0 innings allowing no runs on two hits, while walking two and striking out six. It was the first scoreless outing for a Cardinals starter this season as he set up his team for success. St. Thomas Aquinas would get their offense going after Wilcox's exit, getting to within four runs of the Cardinals, making it a 7-3 game. The Cardinals would get those runs back in the top of the eighth as Michael Norton drew a walk to start the inning. Back-to-back errors would load the bases and Rush would double home a pair of runs to make it a 9-3 game. A Dylan Maltby single would load the bases. Rush would pick up the two runners in scoring position with a two RBI double and the Cardinals made it an 11-3 game. One more St. Thomas Aquinas run in the bottom of the ninth would end the scoring as the Cardinals walked away with an 11-4 win.

The Cardinals were led by Dylan Maltby, who finished 3-4 with two runs scored, a double, and three RBI. If finished out a strong weekend for the Cardinals catcher. Keaton Ferrence would also finish with a three-RBI day, going 2-5 with a pair of singles, including a two-run single that broke things open. The other two Cardinals to finish with multiple RBI on the day were Josh Rush, who finished 1-2 with a pair of RBI, and Nicholas Schultz, who added a 2-5 effort with two RBI.

The Wheeling University Baseball team returns to action on Saturday, March 8^th, when they host Lake Erie with first pitch at 1 PM.