WHEELING, W.Va. – The West Virginia Wesleyan baseball team lost both games of a doubleheader at Wheeling Sunday losing 2-1 in eight innings in game one and 9-4 in the second game. The Bobcats gave up 18 hits over the two games.
Game 1
Wesleyan was sat down in order their first time through the lineup, struggling to produce any offense. The Bobcats squandered their first hit of the game in the top of the fourth with a Devin Johnson single. Nothing would be done with Johnson on base, keeping the game at 0-0. That changed in the bottom of the fourth when Wheeling’s Braden Killens homered to left to break the tie.
Hunter Eplin was strong throughout, keeping the Bobcat offense within striking distance going into their final at-bats. Johnson gave WVWC life in the top of the seventh, getting on base from a throwing error. Julio Aguilar singed up the gut to put two runners on. Thatcher Poteat singled to center to score Jake Ascari who came in to run for Johnson, tying it at 1-1.
The Cardinals went down in order in the bottom of the seventh, sending the game to extra innings. Eddie Rueda walked and stole second to put himself in scoring position but the inning ended on a groundout to the shortstop. Wheeling hit three-straight singles to walk it off in the bottom of the eighth, winning 2-1.
Spencer Craig was the only Cardinal with more than one hit, finishing with two. Killens and Lucas Rawlins both knocked in a run. Kody McCarley pitched eight innings, only giving up three hits, one run (unearned), walking three and striking out nine.
Johnson, Aguilar and Poteat all had one hit apiece while Poteat had the lone RBI. Eplin went six innings, only allowing one run (earned) while walking two and striking out five. Austin Mann took the loss after pitching in relief.
Game 2
Offense struck much earlier in game two for the Bobcats, putting two runners on with a single and a walk in the top of the first. Bobcats were left stranded on the bases, ending the inning with a strikeout and a groundout. Wheeling did more than just put together a little bit of offense in the bottom half of the inning, plating four runs on four hits all with two outs. The 4-0 lead didn’t last long as the Bobcats answered heavily in the top of the second.
Dharyl Moon and Cole Shearer came home on a Sam Ingram single up the middle and Jack Tilton hit a sacrifice fly to trim the Cardinal lead to 4-3. In the bottom of the 3rd, Wheeling put up another run on a one-run single to center. The lead would be extended in the bottom of the fourth, scoring on back-to-back RBI hits to center field.
Wheeling made it 9-3 in the bottom of the sixth, tripling home one run and singling to left to score the other. The Bobcats made it interesting in the top of the seventh, loading the bases on two singles and a balk. A sacrifice fly by Poteat trimmed the deficit to five but the Bobcats ran out of juice, falling 9-4 in the second game.
Jacob Murray, Branden Killens and Nicholas Ancelet all knocked in two runs each for the Cardinals. Johendry Clmenares picked up the win in four innings of work, giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks.
Ingram led Wesleyan, going 2-3 at the plate with two runs knocked in. Poteat andTilton added one run knocked in as well. AJ Ventry took his first loss of the season, going four inning and giving up seven runs (earned).
Up Next For The Bobcats
Wesleyan won’t go far for their next games, traveling to West Liberty for a doubleheader Monday at 2 and 4:30 p.m.
