WISE - - Cody Jewell tossed 5 2/3 innings of relief and UVa-Wise lined 14 hits in a 16-6 win to earn a doubleheader split against Glenville State in Mountain East Conference play at Stallard Field Sunday. Game one saw Pioneers' starter Wesley Stauffer toss a complete game four-hitter to aid his team to a 2-1 win.
Glenville State (9-21, 8-6 MEC) scored its only runs of the opener in the first inning. Justin Lewis led off the game with a base hit before stealing second. A hitter later, Kenneth Finzel reached on an infield single. Lance Gilbert became the third consecutive Pioneer to reach base with a run-scoring single to left field.
Zach Sanford produced the visitors second run when his groundout scored Finzel.
UVa-Wise (14-16, 4-10 MEC) starter Steven Klaiber would settle down from that point and not allow another run. The senior's offense gave him some backing in the home half of the second. Tye Marshall walked to lead off the inning and moved to second on a Vinny Kuchenbuch walk. Marshall would later score on an RBI groundout by Bryan Andrews.
Andrews' RBI would be the extent of the offense in game one. Glenville State would leave the bases loaded in the seventh before UVa-Wise would strand the tying run on base in the home half of the frame.
Stauffer struck out five against two walks as he improved to 3-5 with the win. Klaiber scattered nine hits, struck out three and walked two and dropped to 2-2 with the defeat.
The Pioneers got off to a fast start in game two as well. John Peloro knocked in Lewis in the top of the first to put the visitors ahead 1-0.
An inning later, Kuchenbuch tied the game when his RBI sacrifice fly plated Ben Coffman.
The Pioneers would score the next five runs, including four in the top of the fourth to take a 6-1 lead. Jordan Braniff had an RBI while Sanford and Finzel had two RBIs each.
Jewell entered the game in the fourth inning and after allowing a run, the senior right-hander closed the door against Glenville State.
In the home half of the fourth, Kuchenbuch lined a three-RBI double before scoring on an error. Ty Lighton would draw a bases loaded walk for the fifth run of the frame before a two-RBI single from Klaiber gave UVa-Wise an 8-6 advantage.
Coffman lined a two-RBI double before the Cavs scored three runs when Marshall lifted a deep fly ball to centerfield that was misplayed by the Pioneers.
Matt Wright plated the 13th run of the game later in the sixth when his sacrifice fly scored Marshall. The third baseman tacked on two more runs when he knocked in Kuchenbuch and Marshall in the eighth. Brett Yates singled in the 16th run of the game when he scored Wright.
The 16 runs were a season-high for UVa-Wise; the Cavs also drew a season-high 10 walks.
Coffman and Marshall scored three runs each while combining to knock in three runs. Klaiber and Wright each picked up two hits, knocked in a pair and scored twice while Kuchenbuch led all players with four RBIs.
The win improved Jewell to 3-3 on the year as he struck out five against a walk and three hits. Artson Rank dropped to 0-5 as he walked six and allowed eight runs in 3 2/3 innings of work. As a team, Glenville State committed five errors which lead to four unearned runs.
The same two teams will be back at it Monday when the series concludes with a doubleheader. Game one is slated for seven innings and is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
Fans can listen to the action live on www.uvawisecavs.com
