WISE - - UVa-Wise softball dropped a pair of games to the Yellow Jackets of West Virginia State University Thursday afternoon. The Cavaliers were shutout, 7-0, in game one and fell, 5-3, in game two.
UVa-Wise (16-10, 5-5 MEC) struggled offensively, recording just three hits in the first game of the day.
West Virginia State (18-10, 5-5 MEC) pushed two runs across in the top of the fourth to gain the lead. Kayleigh Thompson walked to lead off the inning before moving up a base on a sacrifice bunt. Brookelyn Hale then hit a single and was able to advance to second on the throw as Thompson scored. Madison Rafuson scored Hale on an RBI single up the middle, giving the Yellow Jackets a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth.
The Yellow Jackets added another run in the fifth frame when Shian Meeks scored on an error. West Virginia State would leave two stranded going into the bottom of the inning.
West Virginia State would close out the game pushing across four runs in the top of the seventh. Hale singled to short stop to score Mirablla before a three-run homer by Allison sent home Hale and Thompson to give the Yellow Jackets the 7-0 win.
Taylor Brandts fell to 9-4 as she tossed a complete game, scattering eight hits with two strikeouts. Brandts allowed only two earned runs with two errors in game one.
Emily Thompson (8-3) picked up the win as she allowed three hits and fanned seven in a complete game effort.
UVa-Wise jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning of game two. Taylor Creasey knocked a double down the right field line and then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Alexis Miles. Creasey then scored on a wild pitch followed by a homer off the bat of Kaylee Jones to give the Cavs their first two runs of the game.
In the bottom of the third, Creasey would single and advance to third on an error to get in a position to score for the Cavs once again. Jones then knocked an RBI single to center field to score Creasey and put the Cavs ahead 3-0.
West Virginia State pushed across all five of its runs in the fourth inning to take the lead. Hale scored on a single to left center field before Brittany Allison scored on a ground out by Alliyah Pullins. Danielle Lebsock and Rafuson crossed home plate on a double by Meeks. Meeks then scored on an error to give the Yellow Jackets a 5-3 advantage and a sweep of the Cavs.
Creasey was 3-for-3 with two runs while Jones was 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Kailyn Spencer (2-4) took the loss for the Cavs as she surrendered two hits with two strikeouts in four innings of work.
Emily Moore (6-4) earned the win, allowing one hit and fanning two as she tossed four innings.
The Cavs will take on the University of Charleston on Saturday, March 31, with game time scheduled for 2 p.m. at Cavalier Field.
