Greentree, PA. – The Wheeling University Baseball team (12-30, 4-19) wrapped up their four-game series with Point Park on Monday. The Cardinals would drop the final two games of the series, falling to an 0-4 record for the weekend. Wheeling's offense couldn't get going in a 4-0 loss before the Cardinals fell in an offensive battle in game two, falling 6-5.
Game One: Point Park 4, Wheeling 0
In game one, the Cardinals would fall behind early as Point Park got a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and second as they jumped out to an early 4-0 lead. Meanwhile, the Cardinals went 1-2-3 in the first before threatening with runners at second and third and one out in the second. Nicolas Ancelet would single followed by a Chris Sauer single and both would steal bases to get into scoring position. However, they were unable to push across a run and Point Park would lead 4-0 after two innings of play. From then on, it would be a pitcher's duel as neither starting pitcher gave up a run the rest of the way. The Cardinals offense would only have one more base runner the rest of the game as they could not break through against Point Park starting pitcher Ramon Rodriguez.
After giving up the four early runs, Cardinal starter Sebastian Khan settled in on the mound. He would finish his day with four straight scoreless innings, allowing just three hits over those four innings. The Cardinals would come up in the bottom of the seventh, still trailing 4-0, but would end up going 1-2-3 to end the day. Khan finished a strong performance on the mound that saw him go 7.0 innings allowing four runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out four. It continued a strong season as a starter for Khan, who picked up his second complete game effort of the season.
The Cardinals would get two hits from two separate batters as they rounded out the day on offense. Both hits would come in the same inning as Nicolas Ancelet and Chris Sauer hit back-to-back singles in the top of the second. Jacob Lentz and Spencer Craig would also reach base with one walk each. The Cardinals would look to salvage a game on the weekend as they headed into game two.
Game Two: Point Park 6, Wheeling 5
In the second game, it would be the Cardinal's offe as that got things started. Jaden Wilcox got the start and, after a scoreless first inning, his offense would get on the board in the top of the second. After a strikeout to start the inning, Chris Sauer would step up and launch his first home run of the season and the Cardinals would take an early 1-0 lead. They would continue to add on in the top of the third, when Brett Johnson started the inning with a double. Spencer Craig would step in with a runner in scoring position, and brought him home with a double of his own and the Cardinals led 2-0. The early offense would continue in the fourth with Sauer reaching on a single to start the inning.
Nicholas Schulz would reach on a single and an error would allow Sauer to score all the way from first to make it a 3-0 game. With Schulz standing at third, Zach Dellerman stepped in two batters later and lifted a sacrifice fly to center that made it a 4-0 Wheeling lead. However, the big inning would come in the bottom of the fourth when the Pioneers struck for six runs in the inning. Wilcox's day would come to an end and Ethan Wendell would get the final two outs of the inning. The Cardinals would try to battle back from being down two runs, and the bullpen gave them an opportunity. Dominic Parker-McDonald would throw two scoreless frames, keeping the score right where it was at 6-4. In what would be there last at-bats, the Cardinals would get one run on a sacrifice fly from Christian Boyles, but they would fall to the Pioneers 6-5.
It was a big day at the plate for Chris Sauer, who finished 2-4 with a home run, a pair of runs scorex and one RBI. He would get the Cardinal's offense started in the second with his home run And was able to continue the success throughout the day. Spencer Craig and Zach Dellerman would each add RBI, while Craig finishing 1-4 and Dellerman going 0-2 with a walk. The other multi-hit effort would come courtesy of Keaton Ference, who finished 2-3 in the effort.
The Wheeling University Baseball team returns to action on Tuesday, when they host Fairmont State in a single seven-inning game with first pitch at 1 PM.
