BUCKHANNON — West Virginia Wesleyan dropped both ends of a doubleheader to the University of Charleston on Sunday at Hank Ellis Field, with the Golden Eagles taking a 3-1 decision in the opener before outlasting the Bobcats 6-5 in a 12 inning marthon in game two.
In the first game, Charleston used a two-run third inning and added an insurance run in the sixth to back a strong complete-game effort from Landon Ingram. Wesleyan was limited to two hits in the contest, but got on the board in the fourth when Alex Smith doubled and later scored on Dylan Neach’s RBI single. Charleston answered in the sixth on Ashton Cochran’s RBI double and made that stand up the rest of the way.
Smith accounted for one of Wesleyan’s two hits with a double and scored the Bobcats’ only run, while Dylan Neach delivered the RBI knock. Grant Shumaker also swiped two bases for Wesleyan. Charleston’s Samuel Lemond paced the Golden Eagles offensively with two hits and two RBIs, and Zachary Syvertson added two hits and scored once.
Drew Evans took the loss despite allowing just one earned run over 5.1 innings, as Wesleyan’s defense was charged with three errors that helped Charleston create opportunities. Andrew Napoleon and Bryson Peffer combined to hold Charleston scoreless over the final 1.2 innings to keep the Bobcats within striking distance, but Ingram finished off the complete-game win after scattering two hits and striking out five.
Game two turned into a back-and-forth battle that lasted 12 innings. After five scoreless frames, Wesleyan broke through first in the fifth. Malik Wood, running for Josiah Segura after a leadoff walk, came around to score on Coleman Cross’ sacrifice fly, and Grant Shumaker followed with an RBI single to give the Bobcats a 2-0 lead. Charleston answered with three runs in the sixth, but Wesleyan quickly swung momentum back in the bottom half when Drew Jrolf launched a two-run homer to put the Bobcats back on top, 4-3.
Charleston kept responding. The Golden Eagles scored twice in the seventh to regain a 5-4 edge, only to see Wesleyan answer again in the bottom of the inning when Alex Smith singled home Shumaker with two outs to tie the game at 5-5. Both bullpens then settled in, sending the game into extra innings.
The decisive moment came in the 12th. Charleston’s John Stansbury II reached on an error to open the inning and eventually scored on Trent Dosenbach’s RBI double, giving the Golden Eagles a 6-5 lead. Wesleyan mounted one final threat in the bottom half, loading the bases with one out on a Matthew Neach single, an Alex Smith single, and an Austin Mann walk, but Charleston escaped the jam to secure the sweep.
Jrolf’s pinch-hit two-run homer highlighted the Wesleyan offense in the nightcap, while Shumaker finished 1-for-5 with a walk and an RBI, Smith went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Coleman Cross drove in a run, and Dylan Neach and Chase Gora added hits. Matthew Neach also scored once and reached base twice. Charleston was led by Collin Kemp, who went 2-for-6 with three RBIs, and Dosenbach, who finished 4-for-6 with three RBIs, including the game-winning hit in the 12th.
On the mound, Drake Long gave Wesleyan 5.2 solid innings in the start, allowing three runs, two earned. Peffer worked 1.1 innings, and Austin Mann was tagged with the loss after throwing five innings in relief and allowing just one run, which was unearned. Charleston’s Garrett Broadwater earned the win with three scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
The Bobcats travel to Glenville State University next weekend, April 25-26, for a four-game set with the Pioneers. Both doubleheaders start at 1 p.m.
