Wheeling, W. Va. – Although a little earlier than expected, the Wheeling University Softball team (9-35, 6-14) is set to hit the road for an Mountain East Conference (MEC) North Division series on Thursday. They start the weekend at Fairmont State on Thursday, April 17th, and continue their weekend on Friday, April 18th when they travel to Frostburg State.
Last time out, the Cardinals would play host to the Davis & Elkins Senators in doubleheader action at the JB Chambers I-470 Complex. In game one, the Senators struck early, scoring 10 runs in the first three innings and the Cardinals were forced to play catch-up the rest of the night. They were able to muster together just two hits on the day, courtesy of Amber Morgan and Denise Carillo and the Cardinals would drop the opening game 11-0. In the second game, Davis & Elkins once again struck early, but this time the Cardinals kept things close, scoring their first run of the day in the bottom of the third. This time it was a few big innings late that sank the Cardinals with Davis & Elkins scoring four runs in the fifth, three runs in the sixth, and six runs in the 7th to put 16 runs on the scoreboard. Wheeling added solo runs in both the fifth and sixth innings, but it wasn't enough as the Cardinals fell to Davis & Elkins 16-3.
Leading the way for the Cardinals throughout the season has been Amber Morgan, leading the way with a .435 batting average across 138 at-bats during the season. She would pick up one hit in each of the two games, including one of the team's two hits in the opener of the doubleheader. She has picked up hits in three of her last four games, going 3-15 during that time. In the weekend opening sweep over West Virginia State, Morgan's biggest effort would come in the first game, where she finished with just one hit, but was able to drive in three runs during the day. Her .435 batting average is good for the second highest batting average in the MEC, as she continues to be a leader for the Cardinals as they head down the final stretch of the regular season.
In terms of run production, the Cardinals have been led by Brooklyn Sanders, who leads the group with 24 RBI through 34 games played this season. Sanders has driven in multiple runs seven times this season, including a three RBI effort against Glenville State back on April 8th. Sanders would drive in one run in each of the two games against West Virginia Wesleyan, going 4-7 with a pair of RBI across the two games. Sanders has been a mainstay in the middle of the Cardinal lineup and looks to continue that success this weekend. In the circle, it has been the dynamic duo of Kaylin Shields and Maria Clark who has led the Cardinals this season. Shields has been the Cardinal's top pitcher in game one of doubleheaders and leads the group with a 4.63 ERA over 118 innings of work this season.
As the Cardinals enter their second time through the MEC North Division, the team is currently holding the #4 spot in the MEC North Division. They sit just one win shy of Point Park for the crucial #3 seed in the conference that would guarantee them a spot in the 2025 MEC Softball Championships. With one doubleheader remaining against each of their Divisional rivals over the next week and a half, the Cardinals have the chance to gain some crucial ground in the standings. If the Cardinals are able to pick up one of the top three spots in the division, they will clinch their spot in the 2025 MEC Tournament. However, if they drop to #4, they would have to beat out the #5 seed in the MEC South, which right now is Concord sitting at 13-11 in conference play.
The Matchup
Fairmont State: The Cardinals and Falcons are meeting for the 44th and 45th times in program history, with Fairmont State leading the all-time series at 29-14. The Cardinals hold a 7-13 record when playing in Fairmont State, compared to a 7-14 team record when the Cardinals host the Falcons. Wheeling is looking to break a 10-game losing streak at the hands of the Falcons, looking for their first win since April 24th, 2022. It will be the second time that the two teams have met this season, with Fairmont State sweeping the first doubleheader. The Falcons would win the first game 4-3 before Wheeling fell in game two 8-1.
Frostburg State: The Cardinals and Bobcats are meeting for the 19th and 20th times in program history with Frostburg State leading the all-time series at 16-2. The Cardinals have yet to win a game on one of their trips to Frostburg State, going 0-8 in the right previous trips to Frostburg, Maryland. The Cardinals recorded the first two wins against Frostburg State in program history in the first meeting of the season as the team's closed March and opened April. The Cardinals would take game one in a rain-shortened 5-2 win, while coming back and earning the sweep in game two with a 7-6 win to round out the doubleheader.
The Details
First pitch for the weekend opener against Fairmont State is schedule for Thursday, April 17th, at 1 PM inside Rosier-Duvall Field on the campus of Fairmont State University. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE or follow along with Live Stats by clicking HERE.
