BUCKHANNON, W.Va. - - Host West Virginia Wesleyan used a trio of multi-hit games in the opener to claim a 6-2 victory before John Koon hit a game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to secure a 6-5 win and a doubleheader sweep of visiting UVa-Wise.
GAME ONE
West Virginia Wesleyan (21-19, 13-13 MEC) took a 2-1 lead in the home second when Dominic Castello lined a two-RBI single to centerfield.
UVa-Wise (17-27, 6-19 MEC) had taken a 1-0 run lead in the top of the first when Ty Lighton raced home on a run-scoring hit by shortstop Tye Marshall.
Tre Kerns gave the Bobcats a 3-1 advantage when he knocked in Michael Logsdon in the third before Koons pushed the lead to 4-1 with an RBI hit in the fourth.
Marcus Elmore got UVa-Wise within two at 4-2 when he plated Cody Jewell in the sixth.
The momentum was short lived for Hank Banner's squad as Greg Smith and Nick Jones knocked in a run each in the home half of the frame for the final margin of 6-2.
James Gainer (2-0) picked up the mound win. The senior scattered five hits and allowed one run in his 4 2/3 innings of work. Chris Metrick tossed 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn his seventh save of 2016.
Steve Klaiber took the loss (3-4); the Roanoke native allowed 11 hits and six runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Marshall and Jewell picked up two hits each in the loss while Koon, Kerns and Corey Lynn all had two hits for West Virginia Wesleyan.
GAME TWO
UVa-Wise broke a scoreless tie in the third inning when Klaiber's infield single allowed Ryan Dickt to race home.
The Bobcats tied the game in the home half of the inning when Logsdon knocked in Jones before taking a 2-1 lead on a Cav error.
Each school scored a run in the fourth as Brett Yates knocked in Vinny Kuchenbuch for UVa-Wise and Wyatt Adkins plated Nick Bader for West Virginia Wesleyan.
The score would remain 3-2 in favor of the Bobcats until the eighth inning when Elmore scored on a passed ball and Ben Coffman knocked in two to make it 5-3 in favor of the Cavs.
West Virginia Wesleyan would get within a run on a sacrifice fly by Bader in the eighth before Koon hit the walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth for the 6-5 win.
Bobby Ornes (4-1) collected the victory on the mound as he hurled two innings of scoreless relief.
Lighton led all players with three hits in defeat.
The series is scheduled to conclude tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
