BUCKHANNON – John Koon hit a two-run walk-off home run in game two to complete a sweep for the West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats over the UVa.-Wise Cavaliers today in a Mountain East Conference doubleheader at Hank Ellis Field.
Down 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning of game two, Nick Jones started the inning with a single to right field.
Following a failed bunt attempt for the first out, Koon blasted a pitch over the right field fence to give the Bobcats a 6-5 win.
The walk-off home run gave the Bobcats a sweep as they took game one by a 6-2 score.
The two wins were key for the Bobcats play-off hopes as they improved their overall record to 21-19 and 13-13 in the MEC.
The Bobcats are still in fourth place in the MEC South, but they kept pace with Glenville State and Concord who are in second and third place respectively in the South. The MEC takes the top three teams from the North and South Divisions for the MEC Tournament which begins in two weeks.
In game two, UVa.-Wise took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, but Wesleyan countered with two runs of their own.
Michael Logsdon singled home Jones and Koon scored on a throwing error on a ball hit to the third baseman as Wesleyan took a 2-0 lead.
The Cavaliers tied the game in the top of the fourth inning with a run, but Wesleyan took the lead right back in the bottom of the fourth when Wyatt Adkins singled home Nick Bader to give the Bobcats a 3-2 advantage.
UVa.-Wise retook the lead with a three-run outburst in the top of the eighth inning as they grabbed a 5-3 lead.
Wesleyan managed to get one run back in the bottom of the eighth when Bader hit a sacrifice fly that scored pinch runner Alex Skinner.
The game stayed at 5-4 until Koon's home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Wesleyan had 11 hits in the win with Jones, Koon and Logsdon each getting two.
Bobby Ornes (4-1) picked up the win tossing two innings of scoreless relief as he allowed three hits and struck out with one.
Andrew Ornes started the game and threw seven strong innings as he gave up four earned runs on six hits and struck out five.
In game one, UVa.-Wise took an early 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first.
Wesleyan took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second when Dominic Castello (pictured) hit a two-run single that scored Corey Lynn and Tre Kerns.
The Bobcats made it a 3-1 game in the bottom of the third when Kerns singled home Logsdon.
Wesleyan upped their lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth Koon singled home Jones.
Uva.-Wise scored one in the top of the sixth inning but it could have been a lot worse for the Bobcats.
The Cavaliers had the bases loaded with one out, but Bobcat reliever Chris Metrick retired the next two batters to keep it a 4-2 game.
Wesleyan iced the game in the bottom of the sixth inning with two runs when Greg Smith singled home Skinner and Jones singled home Smith.
The Bobcats had 11 hits in game one as well.
Jones, Koon, Kerns and Lynn each had two hits.
James Gainer (2-0) picked up the win as he started the game and went 4 2/3 innings. He allowed just one earned run on five hits with two strikeouts.
Metrick picked up the save tossing 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief while striking out two.
Weather permitting, the Bobcats and the Cavaliers will play two games tomorrow at Hank Ellis Field.
First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
(Photo courtesy of Brian Bergstrom/The Record Delta)
