ATHENS — West Virginia Wesleyan’s softball team delivered a textbook performance in a rain-dampened showdown Friday afternoon, edging out Concord University 2-0 at CU Softball Field in Game One of a two-game set.
Kendall Stoffel tossed a brilliant seven-inning shutout. She scattered six hits, walked three, and struck out four in a 115-pitch effort. Every time Concord seemed poised for a breakthrough, Stoffel calmly shut the door, stranding nine runners on base.
Opposing pitcher Madison Hollis also turned in a strong outing despite the loss, pitching all seven innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits while striking out two.
The LadyBobcats wasted no time getting on the board. In the top of the first, Lynzee Hague singled and promptly stole second. After advancing to third on a groundout, Hague stole home in a daring double steal with teammate Josi Fix, who had drawn a walk. The aggressive baserunning gave Wesleyan a quick 1-0 lead.
In the second inning, Wesleyan struck again. Sydney Leadbetter opened the frame with a double to right center and was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Rhiannon Godley. Then, Cadyn Ennen ripped an RBI double to right, scoring Leadbetter to make it 2-0.
Wesleyan stayed aggressive throughout, swiping four bases total, with Hague, Fix, and Hallie Dinklocker each contributing a steal.
Concord managed six hits, including doubles from Alina Giles and Lacie Lewis, but couldn’t string together consecutive hits when it mattered. In the second and fifth innings, Concord had runners in scoring position but failed to cash in, popping out and grounding out to end both threats. A tense bottom of the seventh saw Concord load the bases after a walk and two singles, but Stoffel induced two pop-ups and a lineout to seal the shutout.
In a game defined by explosive innings and relentless offensive pressure, Concord rebounded from the Game One shutout to defeat Wesleyan 11-7 and earn a doubleheader split.
Wesleyan came out swinging once again, putting up two runs in the top of the first inning, courtesy of an RBI single by Gracey Arnold and a bases-loaded walk drawn by Godley. A Concord fielding error helped spark the rally.
Concord immediately responded in their half of the inning, as Madison Hollis singled in a run after a double play threatened to derail the rally, cutting the Lady Bobcats’ lead to 2-1.
Wesleyan padded their advantage to 4-1 in the second inning behind an RBI double from Andie Dizon and a heads-up baserunning sequence that scored Fix on a wild pitch.
The tide turned dramatically in the bottom of the second. Concord capitalized on wildness from Wesleyan’s pitchers, drawing three walks and using timely hitting, including another two-run single by Hollis, to plate four runs and claim a 5-4 lead.
In the third, Concord’s Morgan Gleason launched a pivotal three-run home run to left field, breaking the game open and stretching the lead to 8-4. Gleason, who finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a homer, provided the game’s signature swing.
Though the Lady Bobcats chipped away with two runs in the fourth inning on an RBI groundout by Leadbetter and an RBI single from Ennen, Concord refused to let Wesleyan back into the game.
The Mountain Lions added three more runs in the fifth, highlighted by a clutch two-run single from Kassidy Garvey and an RBI double from Hollis, who was unstoppable at the plate (3-for-3, 4 RBIs).
