Lady Cards Sweep West Liberty

Wheeling Jesuit used a pair of big innings to sweep a softball doubleheader from West Liberty by scores of 6-2 and 7-4 Tuesday night at the I-470 Complex in Wheeling.

In the opener, the Cardinals (9-12, 3-1) loaded the bases in the second inning and grabbed a 2-0 lead when runners were forced home on a hit-by-pitch and bases-loaded walk.

The real damage came in the third frame, however, as Jaime Donato delivered an RBI single after the first two Wheeling Jesuit batters walked.  Courtney Kurowski followed with a 3-run circuit blast to centerfield and the Hilltoppers (10-14, 1-3) were in a 6-0 hole.

Angela Petros had a single and double for Wheeling Jesuit while Donato finished with two singles and an RBI. Rachelle Catrello also had a single and an RBI.  Walker led West Liberty at the plate with a single, double and 2 RBIs while Heather Pulver knocked out a pair of singles.

Jester went the distance to earn the win for the Cardinals, scattering 6 hits to go along with 2 strikeouts and a walk.

The nightcap saw the Hilltoppers grab a quick 1-0 lead.  Katie Ketchum led off the game with a bunt single. She moved up to second on a sacrifice, stole third and came around to score when the throw from the Wheeling Jesuit catcher sailed down the left field line.

West Liberty added another run in the top of the fourth when Vanessa Essenberg smoked a leadoff double off the glove of the Cardinals’ third baseman. With two out, Becky Fortuna came through with an RBI double to right for a 2-0 Hilltopper lead.

Patience paid off for Wheeling Jesuit in the bottom of the inning as the Cardinals loaded the bases with three walks. A two-out double by Ashley Morris cleared the bases and gave the hosts a 3-2 lead.

West Liberty knotted the score at 3 in the top of the fifth when Walker laid down a successful squeeze bunt to plate Kumm, who had led off the inning with a walk and moved around to third on an infield error and a sacrifice.

The tie proved to be short-lived as Wheeling Jesuit’s Vanessa Ilovar led off the bottom of the inning with a long home run to right field. Essenberg, who had relieved Fortuna in the fourth, struck out the next two batters but the Cardinals weren’t finished.

Three straight hits and a pair of Hilltopper errors produced three more runs for Wheeling Jesuit and effectively put the game out of reach, 7-3, heading into the sixth.  Kurowski doubled and took third on a throwing error. Olivia Wamsley followed with an RBI single and came around to score on a triple by Carello, who trotted home on another throwing error.

Wamsley went the distance to pick up the win for Wheeling Jesuit. She struck out two, walked two and allowed 9 hits.

The Cardinals will continue conference play Thursday, March 26th against Glenville State College at 3:00 p.m. on WJU's campus field.