INSTITUTE, W.Va. - - West Virginia State claimed a pair of one-run victories over visiting UVa-Wise on Saturday. The doubleheader sweep allowed the Yellow Jackets to take three of four in the four-game weekend Mountain East Conference series.
Game one saw the UVa-Wise (14-24, 8-12 MEC) duo of Nate Thompson and Devon Moring match Bradley nearly zero-for-zero. The pair scattered seven hits over six innings of work while striking out four. The only blemish on the ledger came in the second inning when Jared Hunt's RBI single plated Trevor Sampson for the only run of the game.
The run was the first earned run allowed in the career of Thompson. The freshman from Wise, Va. has now tossed 17 innings and holds a sparkling 0.53 ERA.
West Virginia State's (15-19, 8-12 MEC) Bradley pitched out of trouble numerous times in the complete game victory. The Cavaliers stranded a pair of runners in the first, fourth and sixth inning while leaving single runners in the third and seventh.
In total, Bradley surrendered seven hits against a walk while fanning five to improve to 4-4 on the season. The loss dropped Thompson to 1-1 on the year.
Junior third baseman Matt Wright led a seven-hit UVa-Wise attack with a pair of singles. Hunt had two hits to lead the Yellow Jackets, Samspon produced the only extra-base hit in the contest with a second inning triple.
The Cavaliers struck first in game two when David Thomas hit into a double play allowing Josh Haga to scamper home.
An inning later, the Yellow Jackets tied the game on a solo homer off the bat off Matt Washington.
West Virginia State took its first lead of the game when Trayvis Patterson's sacrifice fly scored Phil Mandt in the third inning to make the score 2-1.
The hosts added a trio of runs in the fourth on as a bunt RBI single from Jacob Frantz plated the first run before the lead ballooned to 5-1 on a two-run single by Brandon Wright.
The score would remain unchanged until the seventh inning when freshman Greg Duncan's RBI single scored Matt Wright to make it a 5-2 game. Haga would add a two-run double later in the frame to get the Cavs within a run going to the bottom of the seventh.
After a 1-2-3 frame from hurler Matthew Wilkinson, UVa-Wise tied the game on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Tyler Blaum.
Wilkinson would turn in another perfect inning to send the game to the ninth knotted at 5-5.
The Cavs would get two on with two outs in the top of the inning but Jonathon Murphy would get a strikeout to hold the score even.
In the bottom half of the frame, the Yellow Jackets would get the leadoff hitter on but a double play would squash the rally sending the game to extra innings.
After Trevor Nevill singled and moved to second on an error to begin the 10th, UVa-Wise bunted the freshman to third. At that point, West Virginia State intentionally walked Blaum to set up the double play.
The strategy worked to perfection as Murphy would induce an inning ending double play.
The Yellow Jackets would break through in the home portion of the inning as Christopher Jordan started the inning with an infield single before moving to second on a groundout. Following an intentional walk, Washington sent West Virginia State home victorious with a game-winning double.
Haga, Thompson, Stuart Paz, Nevill and Wright had two hits each as part of a 12-hit effort for UVa-Wise.
The Cavs are back in action next Saturday at 1 p.m. against the University of Charleston.
