Wheeling, W. Va. - it was the opening of the JB Chambers I-470 Complex on Saturday as the Wheeling University Baseball team (6-11, 1-5) welcomed in West Virginia Wesleyan. It was a pair of pitcher's duel as both teams starting pitching took center stage throughout the day. In the end, Wheeling would drop both halves of the double falling 3-2 in game one and dropping a 2-1 affair in the second game.
Game One: West Virginia Wesleyan 3, Wheeling 2
It would be Wes Landis taking the ball for the Cardinals in game one and he started things strong with a 1-2-3 top of the first. The Bobcats would strike first taking advantage of a pair of Cardinal errors in the top of the second to take a 2-0 lead. In the bottom half of the inning Wheeling would get those runs back with Spencer Craig getting things started with a one-out double. Nicholas Schultz would add a single to put two on and one out for third baseman Chris Sauer. Sauer drove the ball to the left field way, bringing home both Craig and Schultz to tie the game at 2-2. With a new ball game on their hands, Landis would retire the next seven Bobcat hitters leading to the top of the fifth. He would allow a one-out single and an errant pickoff throw got the runner to Third before Landis stranded in there.
West Virginia Wesleyan would take the lead in the top of the sixth, thanks to a two-out RBI double from Alex Smith, and that would remain the score as the game headed into the bottom of the seventh. Craig would pick up his second hit of the day to start the inning with a single, that was the only baseball to reach of the Cardinals fell by the final score of 3-2. Despite taking the loss, it was another strong start for Landis as he worked his first complete game of the season. He would throw 7.0 innings allowing three runs, one earned, on five hits while striking out five. Landis has had to step up as the team's ace due to injuries and took to his new role well in the first weekend action.
On the offensive side, Spencer Craig would lead the way with a two hit effort, finishing 2-3 with a double in the performance. Chris Sauer would account for the two Caridnal runs with an RBI double, finishing 1-3, while Nicholas Schultz went 1-3 with a run scored to round out the day. The Cardinals would look to generate more offense as they headed into game 2.
Game Two: West Virginia Wesleyan 2, Wheeling 1
Just like the first game of the day, game two would feature another pitcher's duel as Wheeling's Jaden Wilcox squared off with Alex Hernandez from West Virginia Wesleyan. Neither team could get anything going early on the game's first 14 batters being retired. Wilcox would strike out three of his eight batters during the run, before giving up a two out double in the top of the third. He was able to strand the runner there and after three innings it remained a 0-0 tie. Hernandez was having his own success for the Bobcats, retiring the first 10 Cardinals he faced before Christian Boyles broke the string. Boyles would line a one out double to give the Cardinals their first runner in school position. However, he would be stranded there and the game would remain scoreless after four innings.
It would be West Virginia Wesleyan that scored the first run in the top of the fifth on a bases loaded wild pitch. A sacrifice fly from Jack Tillton would bring home the second run of the inning and West Virginia Wesleyan took a 2-0 lead. Wilcox bounced back with a 1-2-3 top of the sixth before his offense would get there first run of the contest. Cade Lacy would single to start the inning and got into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Josh Rush would step in and lined a single down the right field line to score Lacy and make it a 2-1 game. They entered the bottom of the seventh with that same score and threatened after a Chris Sauer single and a Lacy hit by pitch with two outs. The threat came too little too late as a groundout would end the game handing Wheeling a 2-1 defeat.
The Cardinals got their second complete game of the day from Jaden Wilcox, who threw 7.0 innings allowing two runs on five hits while walking a batter and striking out eight. Christian Boyles had the loan multi-hit effort finishing 2-3 with a double out of the #2 hole. Josh Rush accounted for the only RBI on the day, finishing 1-3, while Cade Lacy had the only run scored finishing 1-2 with a walk
The Wheeling University Baseball team returns to action on sunday, March 23rd, when they take on Davis & Elkins first pitch at noon.
