Painesville, OH. - After pulling off a come from behind win on Saturday, the Wheeling University Baseball team (4-5, 0-0) returned to action on Sunday from Painesville, Ohio. The Cardinals would take on Lake Erie in the final two games of their three-game set, falling in both to go 1-2 on the weekend. Game one would see the Cardinals fall in seven innings to the Storm 6-4 before dropping a nine-inning contest in the second game 8-1.
Game One: Lake Erie 6, Wheeling 4
The first game of the day would be a seven inning contest as the Cardinals sent defending Mountain East Conference (MEC) Pitcher of the Week Jaden Wilcox to the mound. Lake Erie would get the offense going early with a four spot in the bottom of the first and the Cardinals would play catch up for the rest of the night. After allowing those four early runs, Wilcox would settle in throwing up three straight scoreless innings. He would allow just two men to reach, both on walks, stranding a runner in scoring position. In the bottom of the fifth, Lake Erie would break through once again with a pair of runs to extend their lead to 6-0. It would spell the end of the day for Wilcox who threw 4.2 innings allowing six runs on six hits while walking three and striking out six.
Head Coach Ryan Lewicki made a call to the bullpen for Ethan Wendell, who works the Cardinals out of the jam. In the top of the sixth, Wheeling would respond by loading the bases on a pair of walks and a hit batter with one out. Nic Ancelet would step in and drove in the first run of the ball game on an RBI groundout scoring Steven Merkel. Chris Sauer was next to the plate and the Cardinals took advantage of a Storm error that would bring home two more runs, cutting the deficit to 6 - 3. After a change on the mound Brett Johnson would step in and picked up the lone hit in the inning, an RBI single that scored Sauer and made it a two-run game after 5.5 innings. Wendell and Matt Sanfilippo combined for a scoreless bottom of the sixth but, despite Wheeling getting the tying run to the plate in the top of the 7th, it wouldn't be enough as Wheeling fell 6-4.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was Brett Johnson, who finished 1-3 with a walk and an RBI. He was one of two cardinals to reach base multiple times in the game and added the lone RBI in the effort. Joining him on base multiple times was Nicholas Schultz who drew two walks in the effort. Michael Norton and Steven Merkel would be the final two Cardinals to reach base in the game with each drawing a walk. After dropping game one the Cardinals looked to bounce back in game two and earn the weekend win.
Game Three: Lake Erie 8, Wheeling 1
With a weekend win on the line, Wheeling sent their ace Kody McCarley to the mound. He gave the Cardinals a boost early on throwing a 1-2-3 bottom of the first, and allowed just three base runners over three scoreless innings to start the game. The Storm would end up breaking through in the bottom of the fourth for two runs before McCarley clean things up with a scoreless fifth. While McCarley was holding Lake Erie at bay, the Storm's starter Dominic Poltrone was putting together a strong pitching performance of his own. He allowed just one base runner through the first four innings on a hit by pitch and didn't allow his first hit until the top of the sixth. In the bottom half of that inning, the Storm would strike for two more runs and pushed their advantage to 4-0.
It rounded out McCarley's day as he lasted 6.0 innings allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits while walking two and striking out six. Lake Erie continued to score, pushing their lead to 5-0 before the Cardinals got on the board in the top of the eighth. Jalen Raysor started the inning with a single and an error would allow Cade Lacy to reach putting runners at first and second with one away. Brett Johnson would come through with an RBI single that brought home Raysor and made it a 5-1 game. However, that was the only one that would come across in the inning and three more Lake Erie runs in the bottom of the 8th would bring the game to an end. Raysor and Michael Morton would reach base on a walk and a hit by pitch in the 9th but the Cardinals would fall 8 - 1.
Leading the way once again for Wheeling was Brett Johnson, who finished 1-4 with an RBI. He would pick up the only Wheeling RBI in both games today as it continues his success at the top of the lineup. Jalen Raysor would add a 1-1 effort at the plate while scoring a run and reaching on a walk, while Steven Merkel and Michael Norton each picked up hits in the effort.
The Wheeling University Baseball team returns to action on Saturday, March 15th, when they open there MEC schedule against the University of Charleston with first pitch at 1 PM.
