WISE, Va. – The UVa-Wise softball team got a pair of walk-off wins over Mountain East Conference opponent West Virginia State Friday at home. Going into extra innings in game one, the host Cavaliers (15-14, 5-3 MEC) scored a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th against the visiting Yellow Jackets (18-10, 3-3 MEC), before claiming a 4-3 win in game two on an RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh.
 
The opening game of Friday afternoon's doubleheader featured a combined 22 hits and 11 runs in 10 innings of play as the Cavs were able to outlast West Virginia State.
 
A two-run homer over the center field wall by the Yellow Jackets' Sydney Kaplan gave West Virginia State an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. UVa-Wise quickly responded in the bottom of the first with a well-orchestrated RBI single to left field by junior first baseman Olivia Cleary (Riner, Va.), that brought home senior second baseman Alexa Hernandez (Woodbridge, Va.).
 
Summer Sword of West Virginia State gave the Yellow Jackets a 4-1 lead in the top of the fourth when she hit a two-run shot over the right center field wall. The Cavs then made it a two-run game in the bottom of the inning after senior shortstop Erika McLaughlin (Haymarket, Va.) hit a solo home run to right center.
 
UVa-Wise continued its comeback in the fifth when a Shannon Bennett (Covington, Va.) double to left center field allowed sophomore catcher Bridget Henzel (Toano, Va.) to score. A Hernandez two-run homer over the left center field wall in the bottom of the sixth gave the Cavs their first lead of the game at 5-4. However, that lead would be short lived as West Virginia State's Kaplan singled to left field for an RBI in the top of the seventh, bringing in Brookelyn Hale to tie the game at 5-5.
 
The Cavs were not able to get a run in the bottom of the seventh, forcing the game into extra innings. Neither team was able to score for the next two innings as the international tie-breaker rule came into effect (last batter to get out in the previous inning is placed on second base at the beginning of the inning).
 
Freshman right-handed pitcher Delany Turner (Leesburg, Va.) got the Cavs out of trouble in the top of the 10th after the Yellow Jackets had bases loaded. A Bennett bunt single to the pitcher advanced McLaughlin to third base before Turner singled to left field for the walk-off RBI, allowing McLaughlin to score from third.
 
Bennett led the Cavs with three hits in the game and an RBI, while Hernandez went 2-for-4, earned two RBI and scored twice. Turner (6-4) picked up the win for the Cavs in the circle, striking out four batters in six inning of relief pitching.
 
West Virginia State's Calli Norton took the loss for the Yellow Jackets in 5 1/3 innings pitched, dropping her record to 6-3 on the season.
 
Game two of the doubleheader did not provide as much offense as the first game but was just as exciting.
 
The Yellow Jackets once again quickly took a 2-0 lead on the Cavs in the top of the first inning after a pair of walks allowed Hale and Micca Mirabella to score. UVa-Wise made it a 2-1 game in the bottom of the inning after senior designated player Mindy Combs (Lebanon, Va.) homered to left center.
 
The Cavs then tied up the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the third when McLaughlin singled through the right side for an RBI, bringing home sophomore third baseman Samantha Ely (Jonesville, Va.). In the home portion of the fourth, the Cavs took a 3-2 lead when an Ely single to center field drove in freshman catcher Lucindy Lawson (Duffield, Va.).
 
West Virginia State knotted up the score once again, this time at 3-3 when Brittany Allison reached on a fielder's choice bunt for an RBI, allowing Hale to score her second run of the game.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, freshman Jackie Yahner (Vienna, Va.) pinched hit for sophomore right fielder Zoe Millard (Glen Allen, Va.) and reached first after being walked. Millard came back in to run for Yahner and advanced to third base after two wild pitches. After only one out had been recorded, McLaughlin hit a sacrifice fly to right field for Millard to score the walk-off run and give the Cavs the 4-3 victory.
 
Redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Taylor Brandts (King George, Va.) earned the win for UVa-Wise in the circle, pitching all seven innings to improve to 6-4 on the year. McLaughlin led the Cavs at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
 
The Yellow Jackets' Chelsey Parkins (7-5) took the loss for West Virginia State after 2 2/3 innings pitched.
 
The Cavs will remain at home Saturday and host the Golden Eagles of the University of Charleston in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
 
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