West Virginia Wesleyan opened its doubleheader at Salem with a dramatic extra-inning win before Salem answered with a walk-off victory in the nightcap, leaving the Bobcats with a split of two tightly contested games at Frank Loria Memorial on Saturday. Wesleyan claimed Game 1, 6-5, in 10 innings behind a late comeback and 5.1 innings of shutout relief from Alex Hernandez, but Salem rallied for a 3-2 win in Game 2 with two runs in the bottom of the seventh.
 
In the opener, the Tigers struck first with a three-run third inning, getting an RBI single from Cody Thomas and a two-run double from Reese Rinna to build a 3-0 lead. Wesleyan answered in the fifth when Dylan Neach launched a two-run homer to left-center, scoring Carter Collins and cutting the deficit to 3-2. Salem added two more in the bottom of the inning to go back in front 5-2, but the Bobcats did not go away.
 
Wesleyan's biggest push came in the seventh. Neach doubled to open the inning, Grant Smith followed with an RBI single, and after Malik Wood singled, Chase Gora delivered a two-run single that brought home Lucas Nelson and Wood to tie the game at 5-5. That set the stage for the 10th, when Coleman Gross singled, moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Gora, and eventually scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch after Salem intentionally walked Grant Shumaker. The unearned run proved to be the difference.
 
Hernandez was outstanding in relief for the Bobcats, allowing just one hit over the final 5.1 innings while striking out four and holding Salem scoreless the rest of the way. At the plate, Neach paced Wesleyan by going 2-for-4 with a double, home run, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Gross finished 2-for-5 with a run scored, Grant Smith went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Collins reached base four times with a hit, three walks, and a run scored. Gora added two RBIs, including the game-tying knock in the seventh.
 
Game 2 started well for Wesleyan, which manufactured two runs in the top of the first. Coleman Cross singled to begin the game, Grant Shumaker followed with another base hit, and Carter Collins drove in the first run with an RBI single. Moments later, Collins stole second and Shumaker stole home, giving the Bobcats an early 2-0 advantage.
 
That lead held through five strong innings from starter Austin Mann. Salem finally broke through in the fourth on Brandon Hoftijzer's double and Reese Rinna's sacrifice fly, trimming the margin to 2-1. Mann worked efficiently through traffic and finished with 5.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and striking out four. Wesleyan, meanwhile, had chances to add on, collecting eight hits in the game, including two each from Cross, Shumaker, and Grant Smith, but could not extend the lead.
 
The decisive swing came in Salem's final at-bat. Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, the Tigers put together a two-out rally after Tyson Shumaker walked, moved up on a wild pitch, and stole third. Joe Wintermute and Landon McAlpine then drew back-to-back walks to load the inning with pressure, and Cody Thomas lined a two-run single that scored both Tyson Shumaker and Wintermute for the walk-off 3-2 win.
 
Wesleyan's offense in the nightcap was led by Cross and Shumaker, who each had two hits, while Collins drove in a run and Grant Smith added two hits. The Bobcats were clean defensively in Game 2 and got a solid start from Mann, but Salem reliever Aiden Eddy kept Wesleyan off the board over the final 2.2 innings and picked up the win. Thomas drove in all three Salem runs, including the game-winner in the seventh.
 
Wesleyan returns home for its first doubleheader of the season against Wheeling University at Ellis Field on Saturday, Mar. 21 at 1 p.m.