Leesburg, Fla. – The West Virginia Wesleyan softball team picked up two more wins on Monday against Pitt-Johnstown (10-0) in six innings and (6-2) over Holy Family. The Lady Bobcats totaled scored 16 runs on 14 hits for the day.
Monday Game 1 vs Pitt-Johnstown
The bats were hot early for the Lady Bobcats, opening the game up with three runs on three hits in the top of the first. It was looking to be a 1-2-3 inning but an error by the third baseman and a hit-by-pitch put two runners on for Wesleyan with two outs. Andie Dizon ripped one up the middle to plate one and then Taylor Swartz put one in the right-center gap to score two, making it 3-0 after one.
Morgan Norris got an RBI on a groundout in the infield to add another run on the board. Dizon continued her hot streak, hitting a three-run home run to left-center to bust the game wide open at 7-0. WVWC had another chance to put more runs up with runners on second and third with two outs until the inning would be ended on a groundout to the second baseman. The Mountain Cats had a runner in scoring position but Abigail O’Shields struck out three straight batters to end the second inning.
Both offenses got quiet for the next couple of innings until UPJ was able to get runners at second and third with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. The Mountain Cats would do nothing as McKayla Mandina was able to get out of the jam. Wesleyan came out in the top of the sixth with some offense as well, getting a single and a pair of walks to get home a run.
Dizon got another RBI with a liner down the left field line and Kaitlyn Rizor singled up the middle to score Morgan Norris, extending the Lady Bobcats lead to 10-0. UPJ had one final chance but was only able to get a double and a walk in the inning, finishing the game in six innings.
The Mountain Cats were only able to scramble four hits on the day with Kayla Miehl and Maddie Flowers hitting a double. Julie Shinavski was handed the loss after going two innings and giving up seven runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks. Kayla Meihl pitched four innings of relief, surrendering a stat line of 3 ER, 6 H, 3 BB and 1 K.
The :ady Bobcats were led by Dizon who went 3-4 with one home run and five RBIs. Swartz finished 2-3 with two RBIs and Morgan Norris was 2-2 with two RBIs as well. Rizor also brought in a run. O’Shields picked up the win, going four innings and only allowing two hits and striking out six. McKayla Mandina came in relief, pitching two innings with two hits and one walk.
Monday Game 2 vs Holy Family
Kendall Stoffel was in a jam early with a runner getting to third on a walk and two passed balls but Stoffel finished the inning with two strikeouts and was able to avoid giving up a first inning run. The Tigers scored the first run of the game off of an error up the middle with two outs in the top half of the second inning. Dizon was hit by a pitch to start out the bottom of the inning and Morgan Norris tripled over the right fielders head to score Dizon. Rizor squeezed Norris home and then reached first on an error. Wesleyan loaded the bases with one out but couldn’t muster anymore runs, leading 2-1 after two innings.
The third inning was just as kind for the Lady Bobcats, adding two runs on an RBI triple from Dizon and a sacrifice fly from Norris. Stoffel’s no-hit bid was ended in the top of the fifth with the Tigers getting back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with no outs. Stoffel was able to strike two out and force a pop up to get out of the inning. McMackin stole second and scored off an RBI double from Swartz. On the next at bat, Kiley Turner ripped one to left field to plate Swartz, extending the Lady Bobcat lead to 6-1 after five innings.
A diving stop by Alli Robinson held Holy Family scoreless in the top of the sixth inning after getting two runners on. The Lady Bobcats had two errors in the seventh inning, allowing HFU to load the bases. Stoffel hit a batter on a two-strike count to bring home a run, trimming the lead down to 6-2. Holy Family’s Maria Leedom almost tied the game up with a grand slam but it went foul. She then grounded out to Grace Smith to end the game.
Emma Clayborne went 0-2 but grabbed an RBI on the walk. Madison Grubb, Jasmine Chui and Deanna Moser picked up a hit. Paige Tidaback took the loss after two innings of work, giving up two earned runs and walking two. Sam Ciasullo pitched four innings in relief, letting up four earned runs on four hits and walking two.
Norris led the Bobcats with two RBIs and a triple. Dizon, Rizor, Swartz and Turner finished with one RBI. Stoffel was strong on the mound again, pitching a complete game on 101 pitches and giving up two runs (zero earned) on three hits and walking three. Stoffel also struck out six batters.
On Tuesday, the Lady Bobcats defeated Wayne State College (Neb.) 4-0 in the earlier game and California (Pa.) 2-1 in walk-off fashion. WVWC has now won six in a row.
Tuesday Game 1 vs Wayne State College
The Lady Bobcats were able to put runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the first but a groundout would end the early offense. The bats for the Wildcats generated early offense as well, getting a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the second. She was left stranded on a flyout to Alyssa Rohr to end the inning. Jenna Christopher started the third with a triple to right and was brought in on a sacrifice squeeze by Smith to put the first run on the board.
Dizon led the fourth off with a single and Swartz tripled in the right-center gap, giving the Lady Bobcats a 2-0 lead. Swartz attempted to steal home but was gunned down. Norris singled and stole second to put herself in scoring position with one out. Norris was left there after a popup and a groundout to close the top half of the inning. O’Shields continued her dominant performance, fanning two more batters in the bottom half.
Robinson was hit by a pitch to begin the sixth inning and Dizon moved her over to third with a single to left. The Lady Bobcats gambled, sending Dizon on a steal where she was caught in a rundown but was able to get Robinson home in the middle of the chase. Swartz and Norris then hit back-to-back doubles with Swartz crossing home to make it 4-0. The Wildcats had runners on first and third with one out after a walk and a single. O’Shields got out of the jam once again, forcing a popup to Robinson and striking out the next batter.
Wesleyan went 1-2-3 in top of the seventh and O’Shields sat the Wildcat lineup down in order in the bottom of the seventh to close the book.
Wayne State was only able to gather three hits and two walks. Samantha Felt went six innings, giving up four runs (all earned) on eight hits and walked one. She also struck out three and hit two.
The Lady Bobcats put together eight hits with three Lady Bobcats getting two each. Dizon, Swartz and Norris all went 2-3 with Swartz and Norris getting an RBI. Smith also had an RBI for the Lady Bobcats. O’Shields pitched a three-hit complete game to pick up her second win of the season. O’Shields only walked two and struck out 10 to complete her stat line.
Tuesday Game 2 vs California (Pa.)
Both teams were quiet in the first inning with the Vulcans getting a two-out hit but didn’t do anything with it. The Vulcans put together multiple two-out hits in the top of the second, doing nothing with them once again as they popped up to Smith to end their half of the inning. In the bottom half, Swartz reached on an error and Norris was hit by a pitch, putting two runners on with two outs. They advanced to second and third on a passed ball and Swartz tried to steal home on the next pitch that got by the catcher but was tagged out on a diving play.
The third and fourth inning saw both squads go 1-2-3 consecutively. In the fifth, Cal (Pa.) got a runner on due to an error and that was quick lived with the follow at-bat being a ground out to end their half of the inning. Wesleyan was sat in order once again in the bottom of the fifth, keeping it a stalemate through five innings of play. The Vulcans hit back-to-back singles to start the sixth, placing runners on first and second with no outs.
Hudson forced three-straight popups to get out of the inning unharmed. Jenna Christopher found her way to third after pinch running for Alyssa Souders in the bottom of sixth, only to be left stranded as California’s Alyssa Rose continued her strong performance and escaped the inning without allowing a run.
Cal (Pa.) scored in the top of the seventh with two outs when a blooper over the second baseman got down and a throw home was errand over Turner’s head. In the bottom of the seventh, Swartz hit a single to setup Norris for a game-tying RBI triple over the right fielders head. With two outs, Grace Hightower slapped a blooper down the left field line that walked it off for the Lady Bobcats.
Charity Henderson and Britney Wilson went 2-3 at the plate to lead the Vulcans. Rose was handed the loss after 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB and 5 K.
The Lady Bobcats were led byHightower’s 2-4 performance, including her walk-off RBI single. Norris went 1-2 with an RBI as well. Hudson was the second Wesleyan pitcher to pitch a complete game on the day, allowing one run (unearned) on seven hits and striking out five. Hudson did not walk any of the 29 batters she faced.
Up Next For The Lady Bobcats
Wesleyan was off Wednesday and return to action on Thursday at 2 p.m. against Lake Erie and 4:30 p.m. to face Mercy College.
