BUCKHANNON, W.Va.– A two-RBI single from Cole Shearer in the late innings helped the West Virginia Wesleyan (3-32, 3-21 MEC) baseball team split their doubleheader against the West Virginia State Yellow Jackets (20-17, 12-12 MEC) on Sunday at Hank Ellis Field.
 
Game One
The Yellow Jacket staff held the ‘Cats in check in game one. WVSU scored in their opening at-bats to make it 1-0. WVSU added another in the third before the Orange and Black broke into the hit column with a base knock from Geovani Sostre in the fifth inning. WVWC had runners on first and second after a Thatcher Poteat single to right field but couldn’t manufacture a run.
 
The Yellow Jackets added two more runs in the sixth to make it 4-0 and conclude the scoring in game one.
 
AJ Ventry got the nod in game one as he went the distance. Ventry scattered four runs (three earned) on eight hits and struck out three.
 
Game Two
Like game one, the Yellow Jackets got on the board in the opening frame to make it 1-0. The ‘Cats would load the bases in the bottom of the frame, but three consecutive strikeouts saw them fail to get on the board.
 
WVSU would add two more in the top of the third on a pair of RBI singles to make it 3-0.
 
WVWC would answer in the bottom half of the frame as Shearer would hit a hard liner to centerfield to score Sam Ingram on a sac-fly.
 
The Bobcat pitching staff would hold the Yellow Jackets scoreless in the final four frames to keep the Orange and Black within striking distance. WVWC would get their chance in the fifth inning as back-to-back singles by Jack Tilton and Julio Aguilar. Martin Radosevic would step up with runners on first and third and deliver a single to right field to score Jack Tilton and make it 3-2. With runners advancing to second and third on a wild pitch, Shearer stepped up to the plate and looked to add on runs. Shearer ripped one down the left-field line to score Radosevic and Aguilar on the play and give the ‘Cats the lead.
 
Jake Mauzy and Broderick Rohrbaugh provided strong relief for the ‘Cats throwing the final two frames to preserve the Bobcat lead and secure the 4-3 win. Rohrbaugh set the Yellow Jackets down in the seventh to tally his third save on the season.
 
Alec Tamburri got the start in game two, earning his first win of the season. Tamburri scattered three runs on six hits and struck out five in his five complete innings of work.