Buckhannon, W. Va. — The Bobcats battled throughout Friday's doubleheader against West Virginia State, but the visiting Yellow Jackets claimed both ends of the twinbill, taking game one 7-3 before holding off the Bobcats 6-4 in the nightcap.
In the opener, Wesleyan struck first and briefly carried the momentum early.
Coleman Cross singled and stole second in the bottom of the first, and the Bobcats capitalized when
Josiah Segura delivered an RBI single that helped bring Cross home for a 1-0 lead. Wesleyan added another run in the second when
Alex Smith was hit by a pitch, moved into scoring position, and came around on
Grant Shumaker's RBI double to make it 2-1.
State answered decisively in the middle innings. After tying the game in the second, the Yellow Jackets broke through in the fourth with a three-run frame. Aidan Paulsen's RBI double tied the contest, and Ethan Spolarich followed with a two-run double to push the visitors in front 4-2. State added another run in the fifth on Garrett Wagoner's RBI single, then tacked on two more in the seventh, taking advantage of an error and a passed ball to stretch the margin to 7-2.
Wesleyan threatened in several spots but left 10 runners on base in game one. The Bobcats loaded the bases in the fifth but could not cash in, and their final run came in the seventh when
Matthew Neach doubled and later scored on
Dylan Neach's sacrifice fly. Cross paced the offense by going 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Shumaker doubled and drove in a run. Segura added two hits and an RBI, and
Matthew Neach reached base three times with a double, a hit-by-pitch, and two walks.
Alex Hernandez worked 6.2 innings in the opener for Wesleyan, allowing eight hits and seven runs, though only four were earned, while striking out three. Andrew Napoleon recorded the final out in relief. Wesleyan's defense was charged with two errors, and State's offense was led by Angel Oquendo, who scored three times, and Spolarich, who drove in two.
The Bobcats showed plenty of fight in game two after falling behind 3-0 through the first three innings. West Virginia State scored twice in the second, aided by a Wesleyan error and an RBI double from B. Guenther, then added another run in the third on Nate Bittinger's RBI single. Wesleyan answered in the bottom of the fourth with its biggest surge of the day.
Matthew Neach drew a walk,
Dylan Neach followed with another free pass, and
Carter Collins reached on an error that brought home the Bobcats' first run.
Alex Smith then delivered the big blow with a two-run double to even the game at 3-3.
State responded immediately in the fifth. Oquendo singled, Paulsen drove him in, and Spolarich followed with another RBI single as the Yellow Jackets reclaimed a 5-3 lead. Wesleyan cut the deficit to one in the bottom half when
Isaac Lough walked,
Coleman Cross singled, and Segura brought Lough home with an RBI single. But the Bobcats could get no closer. State added an insurance run in the sixth on Michael Bittinger's RBI single, and Wesleyan was held scoreless over the final three innings.
Segura again sparked the Wesleyan offense in the second game, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while
Alex Smith went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Shumaker also collected two hits, and Cross added a single as the Bobcats finished with seven hits. Wesleyan struck out 10 times in game two, but still stayed within striking distance throughout.
Anthony Hernandez took the loss in game two after going 6.0 innings and allowing nine hits and six runs, five of them earned.
Bryson Peffer tossed a scoreless seventh with two strikeouts in relief. For West Virginia State, B. Moore earned the win after working four innings, and C. Tomasik closed out the final three innings to secure the sweep.
The Bobcats face off against State again tomorrow, April 4 at Ellis Field. The doubleheader begins at 1 p.m.
