WISE - - Wheeling Jesuit University swept UVa-Wise by scores of 3-2 and 9-3 in the Mountain East Conference opener for both schools at Stallard Field Friday. The Cardinals' Joe San Felippo came out of the bullpen in game one to toss three innings of perfect relief in aiding the visitors to the game one victory before Anthony Connacher scored three runs in the game two triumph.
Dillon Sunnafrank stole the show in the opener as he hit a pair of home runs and tossed five innings of two run ball for Wheeling Jesuit (3-11, 2-0 MEC).
Sunnafrank hit solo homers in the second and fourth inning to put his club up a run on each occasion.
UVa-Wise (9-7, 0-2 MEC) tied the game on an RBI groundout by Brett Yates in fifth and was on the cusp of taking its first lead of the day in the sixth frame.
Tye Marshall singled to lead off the inning and moved up 90 feet when Ryan Dickt was hit by a pitch. Following a passed ball, the Cavaliers had runners on second and third with nobody out.
From that point, Felippo took over by striking out back-to-back hitters and getting a foul out to get out of trouble.
The score would remain the same until the top of the eighth when Wheeling Jesuit executed a hit and run with Shaun Gaydos at the plate to advance Felippo to third. A hitter later, the shortstop turned pitcher scored on an Anthony Connacher sacrifice fly.
Felippo would retire the side in order in the home half of the inning to secure the game one win.
Steve Klaiber started the game on the mound for UVa-Wise and allowed two runs in seven innings of work. The right-hander allowed six hits while walking three and striking out three.
Game two saw the Cardinals use a four-run third to break a 1-1 tie en route to the 9-3 victory. The Cardinals took advantage of two errors, four walks and a hit batter in the big rame.
UVa-Wise would be unable to overcome the inning as Hank Banner's club left 10 runners on base. Marcus Elmore hit his third homer of the season while Ben Coffman went 4-4 in the loss.
Ben Standiford collected his first win of 2016 for Wheeling Jesuit by not allowing an earned run in four innings of work. Logan Hudson tossed three innings of two-run ball out of the bullpen to collect his first save of the season.
Nathan Hatmaker was charged with the loss. The left-hander allowed five runs in 2.2 innings of work, he allowed four hits and walked three in his 53-pitch outing.
UVa-Wise is scheduled to return to MEC play Saturday at 1 p.m. when West Liberty University visits Stallard Field for a doubleheader.
