BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – The UVa-Wise softball team came up just short in two Mountain East Conference road games Tuesday evening at No. 13 West Virginia Wesleyan. A two run sixth-inning propelled the host and 13th-ranked Lady Bobcats (23-3, 5-1 MEC) over the visiting Cavaliers (13-14, 3-3 MEC) in game one, before West Virginia Wesleyan got a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat UVa-Wise 1-0 in game two.
 
The Cavs were only able to manage a total of five hits in the doubleheader on the Lady Bobcats' two pitchers while West Virginia Wesleyan collected 17 hits in the two games.
 
West Virginia Wesleyan took an early 2-0 lead on UVa-Wise in the home portion of the first inning of game one after Brooklyn Waddell doubled to right field to bring in Tori Pogue, followed by a Rebekah Honce single that allowed Waddell to score. Waddell's run was unearned as she had advanced to third on a passed ball. The Lady Bobcats would then add another run in the bottom of the third when Krista Waggoner hit a RBI single to center field for Honce to reach home.
 
UVa-Wise tied up the score at 3-3 in the road portion of the fifth when junior first baseman Olivia Cleary (Riner, Va.) hit a three-run homer, bringing in sophomore catcher Bridget Henzel (Toano, Va.) and senior shortstop Erika McLaughlin (Haymarket, Va.).
 
The Lady Bobcats got two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-3 lead when Anna Eggleston hit a two RBI single to center field, allowing Pogue and Taylor Barnett to score. Other than a McLaughlin single to right field, the Cavs were unable to get anything going in the top of the seventh to make the score final.
 
Freshman right-handed pitcher Delany Turner (Leesburg, Va.) struck out four batters but took the loss for the Cavs, dropping her record to 5-4 on the season. West Virginia Wesleyan's Hannah Vet (8-1) earned the win for the Lady Bobcats, striking out seven batters in seven innings of work.
 
UVa-Wise was only able to get two hits off of the Lady Bobcats' Sayaka Foley in game two of the day. Holding West Virginia Wesleyan scoreless for six innings, redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Taylor Brandts (King George, Va.) did not give up an extra-base hit until the seventh.
 
With the score tied at 0-0 and only one out recorded in the bottom of the seventh, West Virginia Wesleyan's Ashley Hurey hit a solo home run for the 1-0 walk-off win.
 
Both Eggleston and Hurey went 2-for-3 at the plate in game two to lead the Lady Bobcats, while Foley (7-1) struck out 10 batters to get the win after seven innings inside the circle.
 
Taking the loss for the Cavs, Brandts struck out five batters in 6 1/3 innings pitched to fall to 5-4 on the year.
 
UVa-Wise will now return home for a four-game homestand this weekend at Cavalier Field. The Cavs welcome West Virginia State Friday for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. before taking on the University of Charleston Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
 
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