Carello Records Five Hits Against Slippery Rock

Wheeling, WV, April 17, 2009---Wheeling Jesuit and Slippery Rock split a softball doubleheader on a beautiful Friday afternoon at LaRosa Field.  The Cardinals won the first game, 7-0, with Slippery Rock taking game two, 8-5.

Wheeling Jesuit came out swinging in the first game, scoring five runs before making an out.  Rachelle Carello led off the bottom of the first with a single, which was quickly followed by Renee Bailey, Brandy Jester, and Vanessa Ilovar singles.  Angela Petros then launched a grand slam home run down the left field line, staking the Cardinals to a 5-0 lead.

WJU added a run in the second when Bailey singled home Carello, and another run in the fourth, when a Courtney Kurowski groundout brought home Jester.

Meanwhile, on the pitching front, Jester carried a perfect game into the seventh inning, before yielding a leadoff single to Kirsten Brant in the game’s final frame.  Jester finished with a two-hit shutout, striking out ten, without walking a batter.

Petros and Ilovar finished game one with three hits apiece, while Carello, Bailey, and Jester each recorded two hits

Slippery Rock brought out the big bats in the second game, banging out eleven hits, including four extra-base hits, to outslug the Cardinals.

Wheeling Jesuit once again struck early, with Carello singling to lead off the bottom of the first, moving to second on a Bailey sacrifice bunt, and scoring on Jester’s one-out single.

Slippery Rock answered with a five-spot in the third, highlighted by a two-out, three-run home run by Brant.

But the Cardinals mounted a comeback in the bottom of the third.  Carello once again led off an inning with a hit.  Bailey then reached on an error and Jester singled, with Carello scoring on a fielding error.  One out later, Petros and Kurowski drew back-to-back walks, the latter bringing home Bailey.  Slippery Rock made the call to the bullpen, bringing in Sheree Horvath to face Jaime Donato.  Donato grounded out, scoring Jester, before Horvath closed out the inning – and went on to throw 3 2/3 shutout innings.

Slippery Rock scored two more runs in the fourth inning when Jordan Zeunges laced a two-out, two-run triple that just eluded Petros’ attempt at a spectacular diving catch in deep right-center field.  Jessica Ellebruch added a Rock solo home run in the fifth inning.

Needing one final comeback, the Cardinals did not go quietly into the night.  Slippery Rock starting pitcher Shauna Walker returned to the pitching circle in the seventh inning, and WJU went to work, loading the bases on singles by Jester and Kurowski, sandwiched around a walk to Petros.  With two outs, Olivia Wamsley was hit by a pitch, bringing home pinch-runner Leah Vereb, and putting the tying run on first.  But the comeback attempt ended there, as Walker induced a game-ending ground ball and secured the doubleheader split.

Carello and Jester each had three hits in the second game.  Wamsley pitched the complete game, giving up four earned runs on eleven hits, walking one and striking out three.

The Cardinals moved their record to 14-17, with Slippery Rock going to 17-19.