INSTITUTE – The West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcat baseball team split a pair of games with the homestanding West Virginia State Yellow Jackets today in a Mountain East Conference doubleheader at Cal Bailey Field.

The 'Cats took game one by a 3-1 score but dropped the second outing, 5-2.

In game one, James Gainer pitched well going 5 2/3 innings allowing just one earned run on six hits.

Gainer improved his record to 1-0.

All the scoring in game one occurred in the sixth inning.

James Fraser hit a one-run single that scored Dominic Castello, John Koon scored Greg Smith on a double play ball and Tre Kerns singled home Nick Jones to account for the Wesleyan scoring.

West Virginia State avoided the shutout in the bottom of the sixth inning when Phil Mandt doubled home Dylan Grimm.

Wesleyan collected just four hits in the win with Fraser, Kerns, Castello and Smith each getting one.

Dillon Isom and Chris Metrick each threw 2/3 of an inning of scoreless relief. Metrick earned a save throwing the final 2/3 inning of the game.

In game two, West Virginia State grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, but Wesleyan countered with a run of their own in the top of the third when Jones singled home Nick Bader.

The Yellow Jackets retook the lead in the bottom of the third with a pair of runs and then Madnt hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth to treat West Virginia State to a 5-1 lead.

Kerns hit a solo home run in the top of sixth, but Wesleyan couldn't get any closer than three runs.

Wesleyan had nine hits in the loss with Fraser, Kerns and Smith each getting two apiece.

Andrew Ornes suffered the loss as he went 4 1/3 innings allowing five earned runs on eight hits.

The split left Wesleyan with a 19-17 overall record and an 11-11 MEC mark.

Wesleyan and West Virginia State will play again tomorrow in another doubleheader.

First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.