BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — The Bobcats used two standout pitching performances and timely late-inning offense to sweep Davis & Elkins College in a Mountain East Conference doubleheader Friday at Hank Ellis Field, taking the opener 3-1 before walking off with a 2-1 victory in the nightcap.
The Bobcats were outhit in both games, but Wesleyan made the most of its chances, played clean defense in the opener, and leaned on strong starts from
Alex Hernandez and
Drake Long to hold the Senators to just two total runs across 14 innings.
Game One: West Virginia Wesleyan 3, Davis & Elkins 1
The Senators broke through first in the top of the fourth when Jett Walters lifted a solo home run, giving Davis & Elkins a 1-0 lead. Wesleyan responded immediately in the bottom half.
Carter Collins was hit by a pitch to open the inning, moved into scoring position on a groundout by
Malik Wood, and came home when
Dylan Neach delivered an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1.
The Bobcats took control in the fifth without needing a hit.
Coleman Cross drew a leadoff walk, advanced on a wild pitch and moved to third before
Drew Jrolf grounded out to the pitcher, allowing Cross to score the go-ahead run. Wesleyan added an insurance run in the sixth when
Grant Shumaker walked, stole second and advanced on a throwing error, helping the Bobcats stretch the lead to 3-1.
Hernandez worked six innings, allowing one run on seven hits while striking out five and walking one. He limited damage throughout the game, including a key second-inning escape after Davis & Elkins loaded the bases.
Austin Mann entered in the seventh and closed the door with a clean inning, retiring the Senators in order to earn the save.
Offensively, Shumaker led Wesleyan by going 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base. Collins scored once,
Dylan Neach drove in a run, and Jrolf added an RBI groundout. The Bobcats finished with four hits but drew five walks, were hit by two pitches and capitalized on two Davis & Elkins errors.
For Davis & Elkins, Walters was the top offensive performer, going 3-for-3 with the Senators' lone RBI on his solo home run. Carsan Strolla added two hits, while Aiden Morey and Dylan Leadbetter each had one hit. Starter Dallas Rasmussen took the loss despite allowing only four hits over six innings, giving up three runs, two earned, with three strikeouts and five walks.
Game Two: West Virginia Wesleyan 2, Davis & Elkins 1
The second game followed a similar low-scoring script, but this time Wesleyan saved its biggest swing for the final inning. With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh,
Isaac Lough drew a leadoff walk and
Matthew Neach followed with a single that moved Lough to third. After
Chase Gora entered as a pinch runner and stole second, Davis & Elkins intentionally walked
Josiah Segura to load the bases.
Carter Collins then ended the game with a walk-off RBI single, scoring Lough and giving Wesleyan a 2-1 victory.
The Bobcats struck first in the opening inning. Shumaker reached on an error, Lough walked, Segura later drew a walk to load the bases, and Collins came through with an RBI single to put Wesleyan ahead 1-0. Davis & Elkins answered in the second when Mason Brenneman walked, Jett Walters was hit by a pitch, and Aiden Morey singled home Brenneman to tie the game.
From there, Long and Davis & Elkins starter Collin Schneider traded zeroes. Long went the distance for Wesleyan, throwing seven innings and allowing just one run on six hits. He struck out 10, walked two and hit one batter while holding Davis & Elkins scoreless over the final five innings. Long was especially strong late, retiring the Senators in order in the sixth and seventh innings to give the Bobcats a chance to win it in their final at-bat.
Collins delivered both Wesleyan runs in the nightcap, finishing 2-for-3 with two RBI and a walk.
Matthew Neach reached base three times with a hit and two walks, while
Dylan Neach and
Adrian Amezquita each added a hit. Wesleyan drew eight walks in the game, putting steady pressure on Davis & Elkins pitching despite being held to five hits.
Davis & Elkins received hits from six different players in Game Two. Morey drove in the Senators' lone run, while Kenny Capria, Zach Calef-Boring, Joel Wise, Brenneman and Connor Hyde also recorded hits. Schneider struck out 10 over six-plus innings but issued seven walks and was charged with both Wesleyan runs, one earned.
The Bobcats round out their four-game set with the Senators in Elkins on Sunday, May 3 for a final doubleheader of the season that starts at 1 p.m.
