WISE, Va. – UVa-Wise softball began Mountain East Conference play Wednesday afternoon by splitting road games at West Virginia State. The Cavaliers (11-12, 1-1 MEC) defeated the host Yellow Jackets (16-8, 1-1 MEC) 8-5 in game one of the doubleheader before dropping a 1-0 decision in the bottom of the seventh in game two of the day.
 
UVa-Wise and West Virginia State combined for 10 hits in game one of the day as the Cavs used a three-run third inning and a five-run fifth to take down the Yellow Jackets. Five West Virginia State errors did not help the home team's cause either.
 
After two scoreless innings, the Cavs went up 1-0 in the away portion of the third when senior second baseman Alexa Hernandez (Woodbridge, Va.) scored from third after a throwing error by West Virginia State's Kayleigh Thompson. The Cavs added two more runs in the inning to make it a 3-0 game when freshman Shannon Bennett (Covington, Va.) singled to center field for a RBI, allowing freshman right-handed pitcher Delaney Turner (Leesburg, Va.) to score, and sophomore right-handed pitcher Bridget Henzel (Toano, Va.) reached home on an Olivia Cleary (Riner, Va.) double to right center field.
 
The Yellow Jackets first score of the game came in the home portion of the fourth inning after Nichole Brown singled to center field for Micca Mirabella to score.
 
A Turner single to center field brought home sophomore shortstop Samantha Ely (Jonesville, Va.) in the top of the fifth to give the Cavs a 4-1 advantage. UVa-Wise really opened up the game later in the inning when the bases were loaded and junior third baseman Cleary launched a homer over the left field wall for a grand slam. The four-run shot was Cleary's first home run of the season and gave the Cavs an 8-1 lead.
 
West Virginia State sparked somewhat of a comeback in the bottom of the inning as Brookelyn Hale hit a two-run double to left center field, allowing Zoey Carte and Brittany Allison to reach home. The Yellow Jackets then made it a three-run game at 8-5 when Sydney Kaplan singled to right center for two RBI with Hale and Summer Sword scoring.
 
The Cavs did leave two on base in the top of the sixth but that would be the final scoring opportunity for either team as redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Taylor Brandts (King George, Va.) retired six-straight batters in the final two innings.
 
Cleary led the Cavs in game one, going 2-for-3 at the plate with 5 RBI. Henzel scored twice and finished with two hits in four at bats.
 
Brandts recorded her second save of the year in two and two-thirds innings of work, while Turner picked up her fourth win of the season after four and one-third innings inside the circle.
 
Tossing for four innings, Chelsey Parkins took the loss for the Yellow Jackets to drop her record to 6-4 on the year.
 
Game two of the day proved to be quite difficult for the Cavs' offense as UVa-Wise was only able to get three hits off of West Virginia State right-handed pitcher Calli Norton. Despite the Yellow Jackets claiming seven hits in the game, the contest was much a pitching duel with the no runs scored through six and a half innings.
 
UVa-Wise showed fine defensive play in the bottom of the first and fourth innings when West Virginia State had runners in scoring position. A double play in the bottom of the first inning got the Yellow Jackets' Hale, who was on third base, out on the play for the Cavs to close the inning. In the fourth with West Virginia State runners on second and third and only one out, junior right-handed pitcher Emily Kale (Shelby, N.C.) retired two consecutive batters on a line out and a put out.
 
The Cavs did have a chance to score in the top of the seventh when Turner doubled to left field with only one out, but a pop up to second base and a Norton strike out squandered any opportunity.
 
West Virginia State got its walk-off run in the bottom of the seventh on an Allison single down the left field line that allowed Norton, who was pinch running for Brown, to reach home from third.
 
Kale went the distance and took the loss for the Cavs, dropping her record to 3-6 on the season, while Norton (4-2) claimed the win for the Yellow Jackets in seven innings of work.
 
The Cavs will remain on the road this weekend and travel to Glenville State Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. UVa-Wise wraps up its stretch of 10 games played away from home Sunday when the Cavs go to Buckhannon, West Virginia, for a 1 p.m. doubleheader against West Virginia Wesleyan.
 
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