ELKINSS – The first game of a doubleheader started with a bang and ended with a comeback, as West Virginia Wesleyan overcame an early deficit to defeat Davis & Elkins 5-2 in Mountain East Conference softball action Wednesday afternoon. A relentless offensive attack and a lockdown relief performance helped the Senators take the second game, 9-5.
The Senators jumped on the board quickly in the bottom of the first inning when senior first baseman Linzey Allard launched a two-run homer to left center, plating Lina Gutierrez, who had drawn a leadoff walk. Allard’s blast was her first home run of the season and gave D&E early momentum with a 2-0 lead.
Wesleyan starter Kendall Stoffel, however, would settle in after that rocky first inning. The right-hander went the distance, tossing a complete game with seven strong innings, allowing just five hits and two earned runs while striking out six. Stoffel was efficient and resilient, throwing 136 pitches without issuing a single wild pitch or hit batter.
The Lady Bobcats got on the board in the fourth inning. Center fielder Alyssa Rohr legged out an infield single and came around to score on a sharply hit RBI double to right by catcher Andie Dizon, cutting the deficit in half.
But it was the sixth inning that turned the tide. With two outs and two on, shortstop Gracey Arnold delivered the biggest swing of the day for Wesleyan—a bases-clearing triple down the right-field line that brought in Rohr and Dizon. Arnold then scored on a passed ball, capping a three-run rally that flipped the game 4-2 in favor of the visitors.
Wesleyan added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. After a walk and a fielder’s choice, Cadyn Ennen stole second and came around to score on an infield single by Hallie Dinklocker combined with a throwing error in center field. Ennen’s speed and heads-up baserunning made the difference, pushing the lead to 5-2.
Davis & Elkins threatened in the sixth, putting two runners on with no outs, but Stoffel escaped the jam thanks to a popup and a bizarre double play on a fielder’s choice and outfield assist. From there, Stoffel retired the side in order in the seventh, securing the victory.
D&E starter Sammie Jarvis pitched a complete game as well, giving up five hits and striking out six over seven innings. Four of the five runs were earned, and she issued just two walks over 97 pitches.
After dropping the opener earlier in the afternoon, Davis & Elkins flipped the script in Game 2, rallying from a five-run deficit to defeat West Virginia Wesleyan 9–5.
Wesleyan wasted no time putting runs on the board. The Bobcats exploded for five runs in the top of the first inning, taking advantage of two defensive miscues and timely hitting.
Dizon plated leadoff hitter Rohr with an RBI single, and errors by the Davis & Elkins middle infield allowed two more runs to score. Rhiannon Godley added a double to right that pushed the lead to 4-0, and a groundout by Ashlynne McAdow brought in the fifth and final run of the frame.
All five runs were unearned, as starter Saylor Kneeland was chased after recording just one out. Dawn Morris entered in relief and delivered an impressive performance, silencing Wesleyan’s offense over the final 6.2 innings, allowing just two hits, no runs, and striking out one to earn the win.
Despite the early deficit, Davis & Elkins remained composed. A third-inning RBI single by Ashlyn Zapach got them on the board, and a solo homer by Meg Henkle in the fourth trimmed the margin to 5–2.
The real damage came in the fifth and sixth innings. With two outs in the fifth, Zapach delivered again with a single, setting the stage for Gutierrez, who launched a two-run homer to bring the Senators within one.
The sixth inning proved decisive. After a leadoff single by Gweny Wessling, chaos ensued. A combination of hits, an error, and a passed ball allowed five runs to cross the plate—all unearned. Zapach notched her third hit and second RBI of the game, Saucedo and Haynes each delivered run-scoring singles, and Wessling drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the final run of the rally. When the dust settled, the Senators led 9–5.
After the explosive first inning, the Lady Bobcats’ offense was stifled. Morris allowed just two hits from the second inning on—both by Godley, who finished 2-for-4 with a double. Wesleyan failed to mount any serious threats as the game progressed, stranding eight runners in total.
Wesleyan starter Morgan Greene went five innings, allowing five earned runs on eight hits and four walks. Reliever Kelsi Brown struggled with command, surrendering four unearned runs on four hits and two walks in just two-thirds of an inning, and was charged with the loss. Josi Fix recorded the final out in the sixth.
Morris earned the win for D&E with an efficient 91-pitch effort, inducing 14 groundouts to keep the ball out of the air.
Wesleyan hosts a weekend of doubleheaders at Culpepper Field when the Bobcats take on Point Park University (Pa.) on Saturday, Mar. 29 and then welcomes Salem University on Sunday. Both twin bills begin at 1 p.m.
