Athens, W. Va. – The final Mountain East Conference (MEC) Softball crossover weekend kicked off Saturday as the Wheeling University Softball team (6-30, 3-9) traveled to Athens, West Virginia. The Cardinals would score 10 runs between the two games, but in the end would be swept in the two games. The Cardinals fell in game one 12-5 and would come back in game two and fell 13-5 to round out the day.

Game One: Concord 12, Wheeling 5

As the Cardinals kicked off the day, they sent Kaylin Shields to the circle to get things started and she was able to throw a scoreless bottom of the first. In the top of the second, the Cardinals would get things going as Brooklyn Sanders started things off with a single. Shields would step up and helped herself out, lining a double to the right-center field gap and brought home Sanders to give Wheeling a 1-0 lead. Shields would get to third on the throw home and would come home the very next batter as Maria Clark grounded out to bring her home. The Cardinals headed into the bottom of the second with a 2-0 lead, but Concord would put up a three-spot to flip the score to 3-2. The bottom of the third would see the Mountain Lions add a three-run home run to made it 6-2 heading into the bottom of the third.

With the Cardinals trailing by four, Wheeling would look to get things going again in the top of the fourth. Amber Morgan would start things with a single and Sanders would come to the plate. She would lift a two-run home run to right field and the Cardinals would cut into the Mountain Lions lead, making it 6-4. However, the Mountain Lion offense couldn't be stopped, putting up three more runs in the bottom of the inning, upping the deficit to 9-4. Wheeling would get their final run of the game in the top of the sixth when Grace Mummery kicked things off with a single. Back-to-back fielder's choices would put runners on first and second with one out as Kylea Chapple came on to pinch run. The Cardinals would put together a double steal, and an errant throw would allow Morgan to score and make it a 9-5 game.

Kaylin Shields would finish the complete game effort allowing three runs in the bottom of the sixth to round out the day. She would finish throwing 6.0 innings allowing 12 runs, 11 earned, on 11 hits while walking two and striking out three. Wheeling would come to the plate in the top of the seventh, but a 1-2-3 inning would bring the game to an end. It was a big day for Brooklyn Sanders, who finished 2-3 with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBI. Kaylin Shields would add a 1-3 effort with a double and a run scored while Amber Morgan and Grace Mummery each finished 1-3 in the effort. The Cardinals would look to bounce back in their game two effort.

Game Two: Concord 13, Wheeling 5

Just like they did in game one, the Cardinal offense would jump out to an early lead in game two. In the top of the first, it would be one swing from Amber Morgan that got the Cardinals on the board. She lifted her first home run of the season and after an inning, the Cardinals held a 1-0 lead after half an inning. Maria Clark would get the start for the Cardinals and threw a scoreless bottom of the first and allowed a lone run in the bottom of the second to keep it a 1-1 game. The Cardinals would get her the lead right back with their biggest inning of the day in the top of the third. Ava Kresak would walk to start the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch to put a runner in scoring position and nobody out. Two batters later, Morgan singled to put runners at first and third with one out.

Morgan would steal second to put another runner in scoring position for Brooklyn Sanders. Sanders would single up the middle and Kresak scored to make it a 2-1 Wheeling lead. A Kaylin Shields single would load the bases and Maria Clark would help her own cause with a single that pushed Wheeling's lead to 3-1. Keke Warrix would follow with an RBI single that brought home Sanders and pushed the lead to 4-1. Wheeling's fourth run of the inning would come on a Mountain Lion error as Shields came home and Wheeling was out to a 5-1 lead after two and a half innings. However, Concord took the lead back with five runs in the bottom of the third, followed by four in the fourth and three in the fifth to bring the game to its eventual final score of 13-5.

Leading the way for the Cardinals was Brooklyn Sanders, who finished a perfect 3-3 with an RBI in the effort. In total, Sanders would finish the day 5-6 with three RBI across the two games, rounding out the big day. Amber Morgan would finish, 2-3 with a home run, and an RBI, and two runs scored, while getting the Cardinal offense started early. Maria Clark and Keke Warrix each added two hits and an RBI in the effort, with Clark going 2-2 and Warrix going 2-3. The Cardinals would drop both halves of the doubleheader as they look to rebound on Tuesday.

The Wheeling University Softball team returns to action on Tuesday, April 8^th, when they take on Glenville State with first pitch at 2 PM.