Cardinals Rally Late, But Drop Pair to Bobcats

Wheeling, WV, Apr. 18, 2010--- West Virginia Wesleyan College used a total team effort, as all nine Bobcat starters recorded at least one hit on the day, to take two tightly-contested games from Wheeling Jesuit Sunday afternoon by scores of 5-2 and 6-3.

The Cardinals came roaring out of the gates, taking the early lead by
scoring two runs in the first inning of game one. After Ashley McSweeney flied out to start the frame, Rachelle Carello walked, Shaynna Johnson singled, and Aleecia Sunagel singled to load the bases. Following a strikeout, Courtney Kurowski singled home Carello and Olivia Wamsley drew a bases-loaded walk to force home Johnson. But Wesleyan starting pitcher Patricia Moreno ended the rally right there -- inducing Gina Hicks to pop up to second base to end the
inning.

Wesleyan answered right back in the second with a pair of runs – and nearly a third.  After Lexi Rodgers doubled home a run to tie the score, Alex Whisner followed with a single up the middle that appeared to give the Bobcats the lead, but a terrific throw from center fielder Carello to catcher Hicks nailed Rodgers at the plate to end the inning.

Wesleyan extended the lead to 5-2 with a two-run home run by Kashilia Young in the third and a run-scoring double by Dana Goguen in the fifth. Meanwhile, Moreno allowed only a second-inning single to McSweeney until the Cardinals tried to rally in the seventh.  With one out,
Angela Petros singled and McSweeney walked to bring the tying run to the plate. But Moreno came up strong again, retiring the final two Cardinal hitters on pop-ups to end the game.

Wamsley suffered the game one loss for WJU, allowing nine hits and striking out two, without issuing a walk. She was extremely efficient, as she needed only 90 pitches (59 of which were strikes) in the complete game effort.

As is expected when Wesleyan plays, game two featured another strong pitching performance. Kaitlyn Carey pitched a four-hitter, while striking out six of the first eight batters she faced, for the complete game victory.

Wheeling Jesuit dented Carey early, as Johnson homered in the first inning to give the Cardinals a one-run lead – a lead which held up until the fourth, when WVWC catcher Stephanie St. Peter launched a solo home run to tie the game.

The teams exchanged runs in the fifth and sixth, as Wamsley singled and scored an unearned run for Wheeling Jesuit, and the Bobcats strung together three singles to once again knot the score. Wesleyan then broke the game open in the seventh by scoring four runs, highlighted by Whisner’s RBI single and Young’s sacrifice fly.

It looked as if the day was done, as Carey quickly recorded two outs in the bottom of the seventh.  However, Petros singled down the left field line to keep the game going.  And then McSweeney reached on an error.  And then Carello singled through the left side to load the
bases and bring the tying run to the plate. With the drama building, Johnson drew a four-pitch walk to score Petros and bring the potential winning run to the plate. But Carey would not be denied, retiring Sunagel on a fly ball to left to end the game and give the Bobcats the
doubleheader sweep.

Ashley Nichols pitched well for the Cardinals despite taking the loss, yielding four earned runs on eleven hits, while walking one and striking out two.