West Liberty, W. Va- Yet another installment in the "Battle for Wheeling" series did not disappoint fans of the rivalry. The Wheeling University Softball team (7-33), (4-12) were able to come away with a split. The Cardinals had contributions up and down the lineup to help them take game one by a final score of 5-1, but they could not replicate the result in game two, coming up short 4-2.
Game One: Wheeling 5, West Liberty 1
The Cardinals made a statement with their victory over the Hilltoppers in game one as they look to regain ground in the Mountain East Conference's (MEC) North Division. Freshman Kaylin Shields took the circle for the Cards in the first game and did not disappoint. Through seven innings, she did her part by only surrendering seven hits and one run while picking up two strikeouts. Out of the Hilltopper's seven hits, Shields held West Liberty to just one through the opening four innings of play. Maria Clark recorded the first Cardinal hit of the day with a single to right field in the top of the second, and KeKe Warrix followed her up with another single.
The Cardinal offense sparked in their half of the fourth, led by a single from Shields. Maria Clark made contact, and a speedy Shields found herself at third with only one out. Warrix singled up the left side for her second hit of the day, bringing Shields home to break the deadlock. A SAC bunt from Denise Carrillo moved Warrix to second and Clark to third, which set up a bases-clearing single from Chyla Miller to extend the Cardinal advantage by three.
Shields continued to hold the Hilltoppers scoreless and allowed the Cardinals to pick up where they had left off to begin the fifth inning. Grace Mummery was on board with a lead-off single and was forced to move to second after Shields drew a walk. Then, Ava Kresak found some green grass in the middle of the field to load the bases up with one out against them. Warrix was able to remain patient and was rewarded with the walk and an RBI as Mummery trotted across the plate. Carrillo knocked a hit in the field of play and beat the throw to first on a fielder's choice, which was enough time for Shields to make it home safely, and it was now 5-0 Wheeling. Shields continued to dominate the circle for the remainder of the contest, but West Liberty managed to drive a run home in the seventh for a final score of 5-1in favor of the Cardinals.
In game one, Grace Mummery, Maria Clark, and KeKe Warrix finished with two hits and a run each, while Kaylin Shields, Chyla Miller, and Ava Kresak recorded one hit each. Miller and Warrix batted two runners home, and Denise Carillo brought one runner across the plate.
Game Two: Wheeling 2, West Liberty 4
Wheeling felt confident to begin game two of the doubleheader, and things seemed to be starting well for them. Mummery would be the first Cardinal to reach base with a walk, but Brooklyn Sanders recorded the first hit that dropped in the left-field gap. Shields put the ball in play, but a fielder's choice sat Sanders down, and now the Cards had runners at the corners. However, they would be left stranded to end the top of the first. West Liberty had an active first inning, too, and a two-RBI single by Emily Allen had the Toppers on the board first. Similarly to the first inning, the Cardinals got a runner on after Clark reached first because of a West Liberty error, but two fielder's choice plays, and a groundout ended the top of the second for Wheeling. The Hilltoppers batted in another run in their half of the second and took a 3-0 lead to conclude the second inning.
Amber Morgan led off the third positively with a walk, and the Cardinals had a runner on the basepaths for the third straight inning. Mummery was up to bat, and she laid down a SAC bunt to move Morgan up a base. Suddenly, the Topper's second basemen, who was covering first, tried to make the play at third as Morgan rounded second, but the throw was offline. As a result, Morgan made it home safely, and the Cardinals were now on the board. Following the chaos of the previous play, Sanders stepped into the batter's box and showed off her power with a deep shot to left field. As she crossed the plate, the Cardinals found themselves down 3-2, with all the momentum. However, West Liberty managed to add another run in the bottom of the fourth, and Wheeling was unable to string hits together and came up short 4-2.
The freshman designated hitter, Brooklyn Sanders, was a perfect 3-3 at the plate with two singles and a home run. Amber Morgan, Grace Mummery, and Denise Carrillo all recorded walks.
The Wheeling University Softball team will return to action on Saturday, April 12, 2025, for a doubleheader against West Virginia Wesleyan College at the JB Chambers I-470 Complex. The team will host its first annual "Strikeout Cancer" game, with the ceremonial first pitch at 12:45 p.m., followed by the start of game one at 1 p.m. For more information about the special event, please click here.
