INSTITUTE — West Virginia Wesleyan dropped both games of a Mountain East Conference softball doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Lady Jackets Field, falling 11-0 in five innings in game one before battling West Virginia State in a tighter 4-2 decision in game two.
The opener remained scoreless through two innings before West Virginia State pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the third and then erupted for 10 runs in the fourth to claim an 11-0 win in five innings.
Wesleyan starter Morgan Greene worked efficiently early, retiring the Yellow Jackets in order in both the first and second innings. West Virginia State broke through in the third when Sydney Shamblin reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and came home on a throwing error.
The Lady Bobcats had their best early scoring chance in the fourth. Josi Fix singled through the right side and stole second, but West Virginia State starter Adrianna Green worked out of the inning to preserve the lead. Fix and Giana DeSpirito recorded Wesleyan’s two hits in the game, with DeSpirito adding a single to center in the fifth.
Bechtel led West Virginia State with the three-run homer and three RBIs. Cummings went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Moore doubled, drove in a run and scored. Shamblin scored twice, stole a base and drove in a run.
Green earned the win for West Virginia State, throwing a five-inning shutout while allowing two hits, no walks and striking out two. Greene took the loss for Wesleyan, allowing five runs, four earned, over three innings. Jansen Kimble finished the game in the circle for the Lady Bobcats with a scoreless inning of relief.
The Lady Bobcats responded with a much stronger effort in game two. Wesleyan struck first in the top of the third. Emma Putman drew a walk and Jaelyn Riley followed with a single to left. Gracey Arnold then came through with an RBI single up the middle, scoring Putman from second to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead.
State answered in the bottom half. Gianna Sloan-Lebron singled and Autumn Hall walked to set the table. After Clarke Moore moved both runners with a sacrifice bunt, Cassidy Cummings doubled to left center, scoring both runners and putting the Yellow Jackets ahead 2-1.
The Lady Bobcats pulled even in the fourth. Madison Austra led off with a double to left, and Ella Fournier followed with an RBI single down the right-field line to bring Austra home and tie the game at 2-2.
The score remained tied until the fifth. Moore started the inning with a single, and two batters later Olivia Bell homered to deep left field, a two-run shot that gave West Virginia State the 4-2 advantage. Murphy then shut the door in relief, holding Wesleyan hitless over the final three innings.
Wesleyan totaled six hits in game two. Arnold, Fix, Austra, DeSpirito, Fournier and Riley each had one hit, with Arnold and Fournier driving in runs. Austra’s double was the Lady Bobcats’ lone extra-base hit. Lynzee Hague added a stolen base.
Mackenzie O’Brien went the distance in the circle for Wesleyan, allowing four runs on 11 hits over six innings while walking one and striking out two. Autumn Hall started for West Virginia State and allowed two runs on six hits over four innings before Murphy earned the win with three perfect relief innings.
The Lady Bobcats travel to University of Charleston for a doubleheader on Monday, April 27 at 3 p.m.
