Wheeling, W. Va- The Wheeling University Softball team (4-14), (0-0) are ready to play in front of the home fans after being on the road for the past four games. At the start of next week, the Cardinals will host the Salem Tigers on Sunday and then open Mountain East Conference (MEC) play against Point Park on Monday.
Due to the schedule changes, Wheeling's last games seem like so long ago, but in reality, they played just last week in the MEC/PSAC/CIAA Crossover. The Cardinals dropped the first two games to IUP and Cal U by a score of 9-0 and 2-1 respectively. Then, the team had a big showing against Winston Salem, earning a 12-6 win on Sunday. However, Wheeling was unable to get the win against UPJ when they lost 4-0.
Nine different Cardinals recorded hits against the Rams in the 12-6 victory on Sunday. KeKe Warrix went 3-3 at the plate and brought home two runners. Maria Clark performed well, going 2-2 and recording an RBI. Maria Harrison shined bright as well, picking up two hits and two RBIs, both being her first as a Cardinal.
Mackenzie Burns would finish with three hits across the four games played last weekend. Currently, Burns ranks third in the conference with a .449 batting average. The freshman also sits second with a .565 on base percentage and is tied for third with six doubles this season. She is the team's leader with 22 hits and nine RBI, making her a potential nightmare for an opposing pitcher to face.
Clark can not only hit, but she can pitch too. She leads the Cardinal pitching room with a 3.82 ERA and has a 3-3 record so far this season. She sits in the league's top 10 with eight looking strikeouts. Kaylin Shields may still be searching for her first win, but the talent is most certainly there. The sophomore has struck out 44 batters (fifth in the MEC) this season, across 46.2 innings pitched, both being a team high.
The Matchups
It was announced on Tuesday, March 17th, that the contest against Cedarville would be postponed to a later date due to inclement weather conditions. Two days later, there was another announcement stating that the games against Salem and Point Park would be pushed back by one day for the same reason as before, meaning that the Cardinals will take on Salem on Sunday, March 22nd and then open Mountain East Conference (MEC) play on Monday against Point Park. Both days will be double headers and will start at 1pm.
The Tigers currently have a 4-9 record to this point and were also down in Virginia with the Cardinals. The Tigers went 2-2, picking up a 6-0 win against Mansfield University and a 4-3 win over West Virginia State. Before their matchup against the Cardinals, they will take on West Liberty on Saturday. They are led by freshman utility player Ali Shrieve, who averages .343 at the plate and has recorded 12 hits across 35 at-bats. Senior Franchesca Alvaro leads the pitching staff with a 3.41 ERA and a 2-3 record.
As stated earlier, Wheeling will open MEC play against Point Park on Monday. Just like the Tigers, they are also 4-9 and will play a doubleheader against West Liberty on Sunday before taking on the Cardinals. Junior Emma Henry leads the Pioneers with a .351 batting average while freshman Julia Johnson sits atop the pitching ranks with a 3.55 ERA, a 4-3 record, and has recorded 25 strikeouts.
The Details
The Wheeling University Softball team will battle against the Salem Tigers on Sunday, March 22nd and then the Point Park Pioneers on Monday, March 23rd. Both games will be double headers and are scheduled to start at 1pm and 4pm.
