ATHENS, W.Va. – The West Virginia Wesleyan softball team extended their winning streak to six games and picked up their 20th win of the season with a sweep of Concord Sunday in Athens. The Lady Bobcats beat the Mountain Lions in five innings in the first game 11-0 and shutout Concord once again in the second game 2-0.
Game 1
Back-to-back doubles by Hallie Dinklocker and Gracie Hightower put the Lady Bobcats on the board early. Wesleyan loaded the bases with one out but couldn’t muster anymore runs on consecutive strikeouts by Concord’s Caitlyn Bauer.
WVWC sat quiet in the second inning, however that wasn’t the case in the third. Andie Dizon hit a one-run single after Hightower and Morgan Norris started the inning off with a single and reaching on a fielder’s choice. Taylor Swartz and Kiley Turner walked consecutively to bring in another run and granted Turner with an RBI. Alyssa Souders hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring Dizon home and Kaitlyn Rizor brought Swartz home on the next at-bat. Dinklocker and Hightower finished the scoring off for the inning with back-to-back RBI singles.
Rizor extended the Lady Bobcats seven-run lead in the top of the fourth with a two-run double to the right-center gap. Two runs in the top of the fifth for the Lady Bobcats put even more pressure on the Mountain Lions to score or the game would be ended early. Concord was able to put two runners on in the bottom of the fifth but Kendall Stoffel finished strong, earning the 11-0 victory after just five innings.
Morgan Gleason had both hits for the Mountain Lions today, going 2-2 at the plate. Caitlyn Bauer took the loss after just 2.2 innings of work, surrendering seven runs (all earned) off of six hits and three walks. The Mountain Lions bullpen went 2 1/3 innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on three hits and two walks.
Rizor led the Lady Bobcats knocking in three runs as Hightower brought in two runs on a 4-4 performance at the dish. Six other Lady Bobcats added an RBI apiece. Stoffel went five innings, giving up two hits and walking three while also striking out three.
Game 2
Dinklocker and Hightower started the second game off with hits, singling to put two runners on. The Lady Bobcats loaded the bases in the first inning just like they did in the first game and were given the same result. Concord escaped the early inning trouble with consecutive outs to end the top half of the first. Dinklocker started the third with a double and was brought home on back-to-back sacrifice bunts by Hightower and Norris.
Concord put a runner in scoring position in the bottom half of the third with a double, leaving with nothing after a flyout ended the inning. It was a stalemate as both offenses continued to stay silent until the Lady Bobcats added an insurance run for Abigail O’Shields in the top of the seventh. Rizor doubled and Turner singled her home to make it 2-0. Turner then gunned down Concord’s Imani Campbell to end the game.
Four different Mountain Lions picked up a hit in the loss. Nancy Jo-Roberts was the losing pitcher, going the full seven innings and allowing two runs (both earned) on five hits and one walk.
Dinklocker was the only Lady Bobcat with two hits. Norris and Turner batted in an RBI each. O’Shields was the winning pitcher, giving up four hits and walking two while striking out eight.
Up Next For The Lady Bobcats
Wesleyan has a quick turnaround as they travel to Davis & Elkins for a midweek doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.
