CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Wesleyan pushed one of the Mountain East Conference's top teams deep into extra innings in the opener, but the University of Charleston used a ninth-inning walk-off home run to win Game 1, 1-0, before taking Game 2, 5-1, Monday.
 
Wesleyan and Charleston opened the day with a classic pitchers' duel, as Bobcat right-hander Morgan Greene matched Charleston ace Addison Mass inning for inning before the Golden Eagles finally broke through in the bottom of the ninth.
 
Greene was outstanding in the circle, allowing just three hits and one earned run over eight innings, walking four and striking out two while keeping Charleston off the scoreboard through the first eight frames. Charleston managed just one extra-base hit before the ninth, a fifth-inning triple by Kaleigh Serra, but Greene stranded her at third by getting a flyout to left to preserve the scoreless tie.
 
Wesleyan's best early scoring chance came in the third inning, when Giana DeSpirito reached on an error and Kali Vance drew a walk with one out. Mass escaped the threat with a strikeout and a foul pop to third, keeping the game scoreless. The Bobcats also put a runner aboard in the seventh when Madison Austra singled to left center, but Charleston again worked out of the inning.
 
The Bobcats threatened once more in the ninth. Josi Fix singled through the left side with two outs and stole second, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position. Mass stranded her there, however, and Charleston capitalized in the bottom half when Taylor Hodson led off the inning with a solo home run to right field to end the game.
 
Fix and Austra accounted for Wesleyan's two hits, while Fix also added a stolen base. Greene took the hard-luck loss, falling to 10-11 despite allowing only three hits. Mass earned the win for Charleston, improving to 23-4 after throwing a complete-game shutout with 11 strikeouts, one walk and two hits allowed over nine innings.
 
 
Charleston carried its momentum into the second game, using early offense and another strong pitching performance to complete the sweep.
 
The Golden Eagles scored twice in the second inning after Danielle Pici singled, Kaleigh Serra followed with a base hit down the right-field line and Maya Hataway delivered an RBI single to left. A Wesleyan defensive miscue on the play allowed a second run to score, giving Charleston a 2-0 lead.
 
Charleston added a run in the third when Bianca Polistina tripled to left and scored on Kayla Moran's sacrifice fly. The Golden Eagles stretched the lead to 5-0 in the fifth, as Hataway singled, Ella Zucchero moved her over with a sacrifice bunt and Polistina drove her in with a double to left center. Polistina later scored on another Wesleyan error.
 
The Bobcats broke through in the sixth. Jaelyn Riley reached on a bunt single, stole second and came home when Fix singled to center field, giving Wesleyan its lone run of the game. Fix finished 1-for-3 with the RBI, while Riley, Reagan Winn and Emma Putman also recorded hits for the Bobcats.
 
Mackenzie O'Brien went the distance for Wesleyan, allowing eight hits and five runs, three earned, with no walks and four strikeouts across six innings. Charleston's Cali Masters earned the win, improving to 13-4 after holding the Bobcats to four hits and one run over seven innings.
 
Charleston was led offensively in Game 2 by Polistina, who went 2-for-3 with a double, triple, two runs scored and an RBI. Hataway also went 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Pici added two hits.
 
The Bobcats return home for a set against Concord University on Thursday, April 30. First pitch is at 3 p.m.