PHILIPPI, W.Va. – The West Virginia Wesleyan (1-20, 1-9) baseball team split a doubleheader versus Alderson Broaddus (2-19, 1-9) at Jack Funk Field on Saturday afternoon.
 
Inside Game One
The Bobcats struck first in the top of the 2^nd inning when Giovanni Sostre scored on an AB wild pitch. The Battlers responded with four runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a three-run lead. In the third inning, Devin Johnson cranked his first home run of the season that cut the deficit in half. Wesleyan cut the AB lead to one run in the fifth inning when Martin Radosevic drove home Sam Ingram with an RBI groundout.
 
The ‘Cats trailed by one run in the top of the seventh inning. Johnson led the inning off with a double to center field. Radosevic followed up with a double to right field. Johnson was cut down at the plate that kept the score 4-3 in favor of AB. Sostre delivered a clutch two-out knock that brought home pinch runner Jaylon Robinson to tie the score at four. The Battlers scored the game-winning run in the bottom half of the seventh inning and edged WVWC, 5-4.
 
Ingram, Johnson and Cole Shearer all tallied multiple hits. Johnson was aboard three times with two extra-base hits and a walk. AJ Ventry tossed 6.1 innings and surrendered just two earned runs. The freshman pitcher fanned eight AB hitters.
 
Inside Game Two
The Battlers got on the board first following a two-run home run in the bottom of the first frame. Sostre plated Radosevic on a sacrifice fly to put Wesleyan within a run in the second inning. The ‘Cats tied the game in the third inning when Shearer scored on a wild pitch. Radosevic put Wesleyan ahead with a two-RBI base hit to center field. WVWC led 4-2 after three innings of play.
 
In the fourth inning, Ingram brought home Sostre on a two-out knock to put the ‘Cats ahead by three. The Battlers scratched across a run in the bottom half of the inning to keep Wesleyan’s lead at two runs. AB’s first two hitters of the fifth inning reached base. Hunter Eplin punched out two Battlers and forced a fly out to get Wesleyan out of the inning without giving up a run.
 
The ‘Cats added an insurance run in the sixth inning after Shearer lifted a sacrifice fly to score Matt Turner in the top of the 6^th. Ethan Boisvert escaped a bases-loaded jam that preserved the Bobcat lead going into the seventh inning. Broderick Rohrbaugh shut the door and gave the Bobcats their first victory of the season.
 
Offensively, Julio Aguilar compiled a pair of hits in two at-bats. Radosevic and Ingram were on base twice. Leo White and Sostre both contributed hits.
 
Eplin was efficient on the bump, striking out six batters in five innings of work. Boisvert recorded a hold and Rohrbaugh collected the save.
 
Up Next
The Bobcats are slated to take on Notre Dame (Ohio) for a doubleheader on Sunday at MercyHealth Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.