BUCKHANNON — The West Virginia Wesleyan Lady Bobcats split a Mountain East Conference softball doubleheader with Concord University on Thursday afternoon, taking the opener 4-2 behind a complete-game performance from Morgan Greene before falling 5-3 in the second game after a late Bobcat rally came up short.
Wesleyan struck first and never trailed in the opener, riding three solo and multi-run home runs and a strong outing from Greene to a 4-2 victory.
Lynzee Hague gave the Lady Bobcats an immediate spark in the bottom of the first inning, launching a solo home run to put Wesleyan ahead 1-0. Greene made that early lead stand through four scoreless innings, working around baserunners and limiting Concord’s ability to generate sustained offense.
Concord tied the game in the top of the fifth after Reghan Hintz singled, Morgan Gleason entered as a pinch runner, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on an error. But Wesleyan answered decisively in the bottom half. Josi Fix singled with two outs, and Madison Austra followed with a two-run home run to give the Lady Bobcats a 3-1 advantage.
The Mountain Lions cut the deficit to one in the sixth when Kristy McCord singled and later scored on Hannah Niten’s RBI single and a Wesleyan error. Once again, the Lady Bobcats responded. Emma Putman led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run, restoring a two-run cushion at 4-2.
Greene closed the door in the seventh, retiring Concord in order to finish the complete-game win. She allowed five hits and two runs, both unearned, while walking three and striking out five over seven innings. Concord starter Hintz also went the distance, allowing four runs on six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts.
Wesleyan’s offense was powered by Hague, Austra and Putman, who each homered. Austra drove in two runs, while Hague and Putman each added one RBI. Fix reached base twice with a hit and a walk and scored ahead of Austra’s fifth-inning homer. Jaelyn Riley, Giana DeSpirito and the Lady Bobcat defense also helped support Greene as Wesleyan held Concord to five hits in the opener.
Concord flipped the script in Game Two, scoring in each of the first four innings and holding off a seventh-inning Wesleyan charge for a 5-3 win.
The Mountain Lions opened the game quickly when Kendall Morgan led off the top of the first with a solo home run. Wesleyan answered in the bottom half after Jaelyn Riley reached on an error, moved to third on a Josi Fix single and scored on a Concord error off the bat of Gracey Arnold, tying the game at 1-1.
Concord regained the lead in the second when Kayla Sholter doubled and scored on Reghan Hintz’s RBI single. Madison Hollis added a solo home run in the third to stretch the lead to 3-1, and the Mountain Lions added two more in the fourth. Alina Giles walked, advanced on a wild pitch and a groundout, then scored on Morgan’s RBI single. Morgan later stole second and scored on Lacie Lewis’ RBI single to make it 5-1.
After Concord built the four-run lead, Avery Orille settled in well in relief for Wesleyan. Orille worked 4.2 innings, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out three and walking two. Mackenzie O’Brien started for the Lady Bobcats and took the loss after allowing three runs over 2.1 innings.
Wesleyan’s offense was quiet through the middle innings against Concord pitcher Madison Hollis, but the Lady Bobcats made one final push in the seventh. Putman opened the inning with a single, and Abigail Borello followed with a base hit to put two runners aboard. Riley reached on a fielder’s choice, moving Putman to third, and Hague brought Putman home with a sacrifice groundout. Fix then delivered her third hit of the game, an RBI single that scored Riley and cut the deficit to 5-3. Hollis escaped further damage, however, getting the final out to secure the complete-game win for Concord.
Fix led Wesleyan in Game Two with a 3-for-4 performance and an RBI. Putman added a hit and a run scored, Borello singled, Fournier collected a hit, and Austra also singled. Hague and Arnold each drove in a run for the Lady Bobcats. For Concord, Morgan went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBIs, a home run and a stolen base, while Hollis helped her own cause with a solo homer and a complete-game pitching effort.
The Lady Bobcats end their regular season at home on Friday, May 1 against Glenville State University. The first pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m.
