Softball Lady ‘Cats take game one of doubleheader with D&E

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Wesleyan (22-11-1, 12-4) softball team split a doubleheader with Davis & Elkins (16-21, 12-6) on Wednesday evening at Culpepper Field.
 
Inside Game One
The Senators tacked on a pair of runs in the second inning to open the scoring following a bases-clearing triple. The Lady Bobcats responded in the third after Taylor Swartz roped a single that scored Grace Hightower to cut the margin in half. D&E grew their lead to three after scoring a run in the fourth and fifth innings. Gracie Payne cut the Senator lead to two runs by driving in Maya Reyes in the bottom of the fifth inning.
 
The Wesleyan offense rallied in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Hightower drew a base on balls. Molly Osborne followed with an infield single to third base. Morgan Norris made it three consecutive Bobcat hitters to reach base with a knock. Robinson scored Hightower and put the Lady ‘Cats within one. Swartz gave the Lady Bobcats their first lead of the game with a two-RBI knock that scored Osborne and Norris. Destiny Alvarado and Payne added hits in the next two Lady Bobcat plate appearances that marked six consecutive hitters to collect a hit in the sixth inning. Kiley Turner scored Payne on an RBI groundout to give WVWC a three-run lead. The Lady Bobcats took game one, 7-4.
 
Robinson reached base safely in all four of her plate appearances. Alvarado tacked on three hits, while Hightower, Swartz and Payne all compiled multi-hit games.
 
Hannah Hudson went the distance and picked up her 11th win of the season. Hudson struck out nine hitters and surrendered just four hits in her seven innings of work.
 
Inside Game Two
D&E scored two unearned runs in the first frame and tacked on another unearned run in the third inning. Wesleyan once again strung hits together in the sixth inning. Pinch hitter Kaitlyn Rizor started the inning with a line drive single to left. Hightower poked a single through the hole between the shortstop and third baseman to put a runner in scoring position. Two batters later, Norris drove a ball into the right centerfield gap that scored Hightower to put the Lady Bobcats on the board. WVWC left three runners on base and could not cut the deficit any closer. Alvarado led off the seventh inning with a walk. The Senators shut the door and edged WVWC, 3-1.
 
Abigail O’Shields did not surrender an earned run and struck out three Senators. Hightower led the WVWC offense with two hits and Norris drove in the lone run for WVWC.
 
Up Next
WVWC softball is set to welcome Wheeling to Culpepper Field on Friday for two games beginning at noon.