Owensboro, Kentucky. – The Wheeling University softball team (3-2, 0-0) opened Day 2 of the Blue Bridge Battle with two games against tough non-conference opponents. They started the day against the University of Illinois Springfield and ended against the University of Indianapolis. Unfortunately, Wheeling lost both games 9-0 and 13-2 as they fell to 3-2 in the season. With another day of competition ahead of them, the women look to build on the day’s experiences as they progress.
Game 1: University of Illinois Springfield 9, Wheeling 0
In the first game of the day, the Cardinals met the University of Illinois Springfield at 10:00 a.m. in their second game of the Blue Bridge Battle. Aubrie Lafferty stepped into the circle trying to keep her scoreless innings streak alive, but unfortunately things weren’t going her way. The Prairie Stars jumped on them for four runs early in the first inning and added two more points as the game progressed to inning number two. The Wheeling offensive looked like they would react when Taylor Hradek singled to start the first inning, but that was the lone hit as she was stranded at third base.
Lafferty would last four innings in the game and was charged for nine runs, five of them earned, over her four innings of work, and she will be looking to hit back on her next outing. For the Cardinals, that first inning hit was all they could muster, and they only managed four batsmen to reach base in the game. They were eliminated 1-2-3 in the third, fourth, and fifth innings before the eight-run rule went into effect, giving them their first loss of the season. Madison Macy pitched the final inning of the game and threw a scoreless fifth inning, allowing one hit and knocking out one.
Taylor Hradek has the only hit of the day in the first game for the Cardinals and goes 1-3 in their four at-bats on the day. Makie PaxsonCass Romani and Cassie Feyh were the other cardinals to reach the base, all over the footpath. The loss was Wheeling’s first this season as they looked for a catch-up attempt in their second game of the second day.
Game 2: University of Indianapolis 13, Wheeling 2
In the second game of the day, Wheeling struggled against the University of Indianapolis and again fell victim to an early offense. Abby Bumbico got the start for Wheeling in the second game and was greeted with a three-run first inning by the Greyhounds. UIndy continued to pile up the runs, adding two in the second, four in the third and four in the fourth to finish the night. Bumbico lasted three innings for the Cardinals and was charged with nine carries, five earned, on 10 hits while walking three. Jamie Anderson came in to relieve Bumbico and threw the last inning that allowed four runs, two of them earned, on two hits while walking a batter.
The Cardinals came onto the plate 13-0 down and tried to keep the game alive. Back to back singles from Jamie Anderson and Lea Klockowski got the inning started and Hradek came center with the first run of the game on an RBI single. Makie Paxson followed her with an RBI single of her own and just like that it was a 13-2 game. However, the last two batters of the night for the Cardinals were retired and the eight-run rule was enacted to end the game.
Hradek and Paxson had the two RBIs that day for the Cardinals, going off the plate 1-3 and 1-2, respectively. Cassie Feyh had the best offensive day for Wheeling, going 2-3 off the plate with the team’s only extra base hit. It was Wheeling’s first loss in a doubleheader sweep of the season, lowering her record to 3–2 on the season.
The Wheeling University softball team gets back into action Sunday morning when they play Missouri S&T at 10 a.m., followed by Ohio Dominican at 12 p.m.
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