Jesuit Fights with Battlers

Wheeling, WV, Apr. 13, 2010---On Tuesday, the Wheeling Jesuit softball team dropped two close contests to Alderson Broaddus College with both games being decided in the final inning. The Lady Cardinals outhit the opponent 8-4 in game one and sent five balls over the outfield wall in the nightcap as they fell 4-3 and 11-8.

In game one, The Lady Cardinals jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, scoring one run in each of the first two innings. Rachelle Carello, the second batter of the game, singled to right field and advanced to second on a wild pitch while Shaynna Johnson followed with a single through the left side of the infield, placing runners at first and third. Johnson created a rundown between first and second as Carello crossed the plate safely for the Lady Cardinals first run.

After recording three outs, Olivia Wamsley shot a line drive off the right center field wall to end up in scoring position. A batter later, Angela Petros used the same route for a double of her own, to score Wamsley.

In the third inning, the Battlers got on the board with a three-run blast, taking a one run advantage. The Lady Cardinals answered in the bottom half of the inning as Wamsley reached on four pitches and Jordan Burkhart singled to left center field. Petros used her second hit of the game to drive in another run which tied the game at three.

The Cardinals failed to plate the go ahead run as they stranded one in each of the last three innings. With the bases loaded in the seventh, the Battlers scored on a deep fly ball to left field for the 4-3 win.

In game two, the Battlers used a pair of walks and singles followed by a grandslam for a 5-0 lead in the top half of the first inning. The Cardinal bats exploded in the first as well. Ashley McSweeney led off with a double while Carello and Johnson sent back-to-back jacks out of the yard with Carello earning two RBI. After a walk and a ground out, Burkhart smashed a round tripper to even the score with two additional runs.

Alderson Broaddus failed to get around the bases in the second as Carello found the other side of the fence for a second time to give the Lady Cards a 6-5 lead. The Battlers retaliated with a solo shot in the forth, and the Cardinals regained the lead when Courtney Kurowski led off with a double and McSweeney sent a sacrifice fly to deep center field. Kurowski put the Lady Cardinals up 8-7, going into the seventh as she cleared the playing surface and recorded the team's final homerun. 

After reaching on a free pass followed by a double in the seventh, Alderson Broaddus loaded the bases and tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right field. With two outs and a full count, AB sent a ball flying over the center field wall for an 11-8 lead. Sunagel was stranded on second after working the count, as the Cardinals came up empty in the final frame.

Wheeling Jesuit Softball will host Salem International University at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday April, 14th.