Melbourne, FL.- The final day of the Wheeling University Softball team's (2-14, 0-0) annual spring training trip came to an end on Friday from Melbourne, Florida. The Cardinals have their best offensive day of the season, scoring a combined nine runs between the two games, but it wasn't enough as they were swept to finish off their trip. Wheeling battled Columbus State and game one, falling 8-4, and nearly completed the comeback over Felician in The nightcap, falling 6-5.

Game One: Columbus State 8, Wheeling 4

In the opening game of the day, it was the offense that sparked the day, getting things started in the bottom of the first. With one out, Chyla Miller reached on an error and advanced to second on a groundout. With two outs, Brooklyn Sanders came to the plate and reached on an error that allowed Miller to score from second as the Cardinals took a 1-0 lead. Kaylin Shields got the start for the Cardinals and used the early runs as momentum, throwing up three straight zeros to start the game. She had a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the second, and allowed just one base runner in the third on a single. Ava Kresak would step in to start the bottom of the third, and the Cardinal's offense put together their best offensive inning of the day.

Another Cougar error allowed Miller to reach and both runners moved up on a groundball to put runners at second and third with one away. Sanders stepped in in a big situation for the Cardinals and once again delivered, this time with a two RBI double. Kresak and Miller each came around to score. Sanders picked up her first two RBI of the day, and was responsible for all three runs that the Cardinals scored in the first three innings. Wheeling would hold a 3-0 lead, but Columbus State got one of the runs back in the top of the fourth. As the Cougars returned to the bat racks in the top of the fifth, and added a three-spot in the top of the fifth to take a 4-3 lead before the Cardinal offense responded.

In the bottom of that fifth inning, Amber Morgan got things started with a double that brought Sanders to the plate, looking to continue her big day. She would send a double down the left field line, bringing Morgan all the way around from first base to tie the game at 4-4. With a runner at 2nd and nobody out, the Cardinals would advance Sanders to Third but that is as far as she got with the game sitting tied at 4-4 after five. The Cougars would take the lead back with a run in the top of the sixth, and three more Insurance runs in the 7th would turn it into an 8-4 game. The Cardinals would get one base runner in the bottom of the seventh, with Amber Morgan reaching on a walk, but they couldn't move her past first base as they fell 8-4.

Leading away for Wheeling was Brooklyn Sanders who had a career day, going 2-4 with two doubles and three RBI. It was her first career multi RBI day for the Cardinals and she has taken to her new role as the team's designated player. Aaliyah Walker added a multi-hit game of her own, finishing 2-3, while Amber Morgan added a hit and a run scored to round out the day. Kaylin Shields would once again go the distance for the Cardinals, throwing 7.0 innings, allowing 8 runs, four earned, on nine hits while walking two and striking out one. Wheeling would look for a bounce back in their night game as they rounded out the trip.

Game Two: Felician 6, Wheeling 5

The final game of the spring training trip would see Wheeling Softball go back to in region play as they took on Felician. As they did in the first game, the offense came out strong with Kylea Chapple drawing a walk with one out in the top of the first. Amber Morgan stepped to the plate and drove the ball to the wall for a one-out triple scoring Chapple and giving Wheeling a 1-0 lead. Brooklyn Sanders would follow and continued her big day with an RBI groundout that pushed Wheeling's lead to 2-0 after a half inning. Maria Clark would take the circle in game two for the Cardinals, and fed off their early game success. She would throw a 1-2-3 bottom of the first and the Cardinals would keep things going as they returned to the bat racks.

This time it was Kaylin Shields who got things started for the Cardinals, reaching on an error, followed by a walk from Denise Carrillo that put two on with one out. Two hitters later, the lineup turned over and Ava Kresak would hit an RBI single that scored Shields and extended wheeling's lead to 3-0. In the bottom of the second, the Falcons would get two of those three runs back, making it a 3-2 game heading into the top of a third. For the third straight inning the Cardinals would get a run with one on and one out or less as Morgan hit a leadoff triple, her second of the game. Clark would help her own cause two batters later on an RBI groundout that brought Morgan home and made it a 4-2 Wheeling lead. Felician would slowly work themselves back into the game, scoring a run in the third followed by two in the 4^th that had them leading 5-4.

They added an additional Insurance run in the bottom of the 6th, to make the lead 6-4 heading into the final Cardinal at bats of the night. Kresak would reach on an error to start the inning, and two batters later Morgan would join her with her third hit of the day to put runners at first and third with one out. Sanders would step into the batter's box and put an exclamation point on her big day picking up her fifth RBI between the two games. This time it was an RBI single that brought home Kresak and made it a 6-5 game. Unfortunately, that was as close as the Cardinals would get as they fell 6-5 to drop their spring training finale.

Leading the way for Wheeling was Amber Morgan, who picked up her second three hit game of the season, finishing with two triples a single and two RBI. Brooklyn Sanders capped off her big day, driving in two of the five Cardinal runs to give herself five total on the night between the two games. Maria Clark and Ava Kresak would drive in the other two runs for the Cardinals on the day to round out the offensive effort.