Wheeling, W. Va. - After rain, forced the teams to postpone game four of their series Back on April 19th, the Wheeling University baseball team welcomed Fairmont State back to the JB Chambers I-470 Complex on Tuesday afternoon. The teams would make up that fourth game with a single seven inning Affair as the Cardinals fell 7-6. It was a back and forth game with the lead changing hands three times through seven innings as the Cardinals ended up splitting the season series.
Brock Elliott took the ball for the Cardinals and was tagged with a two-run home run by Fairmont State's Zach Brennan With two outs in The top of the first. However, he settled in with a scoreless second and his offense pick him up in the bottom half. Nicolas Ancelet would get things started with a single and used his speed to get into scoring position with nobody out. Christian Boyles would lay down a sacrifice bunt to move a runner to third for Nicholas Schulz. Schulz came through with an RBI double to get the Cardinals on the board. Jacob Lentz would follow with a two-out walk two batters later and Seth Floyd would single up the middle, bringing home Schulz to make it a 2-2 game. Brett Johnson followed with a double and just like that the Cardinals had a 3-2 lead after two innings.
Fairmont State would get that run back in the top of the third, the Cardinals saw that run and doubled it in their half of the inning. Keaton Ference would draw a lead off walk but was replaced on a double play to clear the bases with two outs. Christian Boyles would use his speed to beat out an infield single and Ancelet would bring him home with an RBI triple to give Wheeling a 4-3 lead. Jalen Raysor Set a ground ball to third, but hustled down the line to beat out an errant. Throw that allowed Ancelet to score and gave Wheeling a 5-3 lead. That lead would once again not last long as Fairmont State added two more in the top of the fourth It was tied once again at 5-5 head ing to the half. First two batters off the bottom of the fourth would be retired. Bringing up Spencer Craig with two outs and nobody on. He lifted a solo home run into the Cardinal bullpen beyond the left field wall Aunt, we took a 6-5 lead.
Elliott work into the fourth inning but was pulled After allowing the bases loaded with nobody out. Matt Sanfilippo was able to limit the damage, flying just two runs to score to keep it a tie game. Elliott would go 3.0 innings allowing six runs, five earned, On six hits while walking four and striking out one. Sanfilippo added a scoreless inning of work before Head Coach Ryan Lewicki I made the call to the bullpen. He would call on Logan Stalbird for the tip of the fifth and he provided the team with a shot in the arm, striking out all three batters he faced in the inning. He would go on to pitch a scoreless sixth and came out for the top of the seventh to attempt the three-inning save. However, after a walk and a single, his day was done as the Cardinals called on Lamont Akins.
The Falcons would make those two leadoff runners hurt as they brought both across the plate and took a 7-6 lead. It was their first lead since the top of the second inning and the Cardinals would look to rally in the bottom of the 7th. However, all three batters that came to the plate would strikeout and the Cardinals would fall by the final score of 7-6. With the loss, the Cardinals ended up splitting the Season series with the Falcons, winning the first two games and falling in the second half of the doubleheader.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was Nicholas Schulz, who finished 2-3 with A double, a triple, two RBI, and two runs scored. It would be his RBI double that got the scoring started for the Cardinals in this back and forth affair. Spencer Craig would give the team some insurance with a home run in the bottom of the fourth as he finished 1-4 with the home run and an RBI. Brett Johnson would add two hits at the top of the lineup, going 2-4 with an RBI, while Seth Floyd drove in the final run, going 1-3 out of the nine spot.
The Wheeling University Baseball team Returns to action on Wednesday, April 30th, when they play their final midweek game of the season against Bethany in a seven inning game, with first pitch at 7 PM.
