ELKINS — West Virginia Wesleyan edged out Davis & Elkins 4–3 in a gritty eight-inning contest Saturday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader.
The Bobcats struck first in the opening inning, putting up three quick runs. Leadoff man Jack Tilton was hit by a pitch and promptly stole second. After Grant Shumaker singled and Matt Neach drew a walk, Thatcher Poteat’s sacrifice fly scored the first run. Kohei Fujishita added another sacrifice fly, and Alex Smith’s RBI single plated Neach, capping a productive start.
Davis & Elkins answered right back in the bottom of the frame. Joseph De La Nuez opened with a triple and scored on Mason Brenneman’s RBI double. The Senators tied it up 3–3 in the second inning when Cort Kegley scored on Larry Kusan’s RBI single, followed by a sacrifice fly from Brenneman.
After the early offensive flurry, the game settled into a tense pitcher’s duel. Wesleyan’s starter Alex Hernandez (5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) held the Senators in check through five innings, while reliever Drake Long (2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R) kept the door shut over the final two frames.
The decisive moment came in the sixth. After Smith led off with a single, pinch runner Preston Todd advanced to third and scored on Tilton’s clutch two-out RBI single to center, giving Wesleyan the 4–3 edge they wouldn’t relinquish.
On offense, the Bobcats got multi-hit performances from Shumaker (2-for-4), Smith (2-for-3), and Tilton (1-for-2, RBI, 2 SB). Wesleyan showed aggression on the bases, swiping five bags overall.
For Davis & Elkins, Kusan stood out with a 3-for-4 day including an RBI, and La Nuez added two hits, including his opening-inning triple. Despite out-hitting the Bobcats 9–8, the Senators couldn’t break through in key moments, grounding into two double plays and stranding seven runners.
Senators’ reliever Malakai Webb (2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER) took the loss after taking over in the third inning.
Wesleyan edged Davis & Elkins 6–5 in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader, completing the sweep behind timely hitting and a resilient bullpen effort.
The Bobcats jumped on the board early when Shumaker scored in the first, but the Senators answered with a two-run second inning, fueled by La Nuez’s two-RBI single, and a solo homer from Kelvin Probst in the third, grabbing a 3–1 lead.
In the fourth, Wesleyan responded with a decisive three-run rally. After loading the bases, Luke Burner delivered a clutch bases-clearing double to right-center, flipping the score to 4–3. However, Davis & Elkins wasn’t done — they reclaimed the lead 5–4 in the bottom half with back-to-back RBI hits from Kusan and Brenneman.
The turning point came in the sixth when Malik Wood crushed a solo home run to left field, tying the game. Moments later, a groundout RBI by Shumaker brought home the eventual winning run, putting Wesleyan ahead 6–5.
On the mound, Anthony Hernandez (5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K) weathered a rough middle stretch to pick up the win, while Ilich Purcell (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K) shut the door over the final two innings, sealing the one-run victory.
Offensively, Wesleyan managed just five hits but maximized opportunities. Burner led the way with a 1-for-2 day, a double, and three RBIs; Wood chipped in with a 2-for-3 performance including the critical home run.
Davis & Elkins outhit the Bobcats 8–5, led by La Nuez (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) and Kusan (1-for-4, RBI, double), but missed chances haunted them, leaving seven men stranded. Starter K. Ball (5.0 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 5 BB) was tagged with the loss despite flashes of effectiveness.
With the sweep, West Virginia Wesleyan ends its 2025 campaign with a 15–32 record overall and 9-21 in the Mountain East Conference.
