BUCKHANNON, W.Va. - - UVa-Wise now controls its own destiny in terms of making the postseason after Hank Banner's club scored a Mountain East Conference doubleheader sweep of West Virginia Wesleyan Monday afternoon. The Cavaliers hung on for a 5-4 win in the opener before a trio of relievers pitched five innings in a 6-3 win in the finale. Freshman hurler Andrew Balmer was credited with the first win of his collegiate career in the finale as he fired 2 2/3 innings of one-run ball before senior Matthew Wilkinson notched his second save of the day.

UVa-Wise (17-25, 14-14 MEC) scored three batters into the opener when sophomore Dawson Cagle hit a solo homer, his fourth of the season, to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Sophomore Nate Thompson started on the mound and the Wise, Va. native faced the league minimum through the first two frames before West Virginia Wesleyan's (11-32, 10-17 MEC) Sam Ross led off the third inning with a triple. Thompson would strikeout the next two Bobcats before Greg Smith tripled home Ross to tie the game. The right-hander would get a line out to first baseman Brock Smith to end the threat.

The Cavs would regain the lead in the fourth inning when senior Stuart Paz lined a two-out, two-run, double to right field allowing Brett Yates and Matthew Branham to scamper home.

An RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Tyler Blaum made it a 4-1 in the top of the fifth.

In the home fifth, Ross led off the inning with an infield single before later scoring on an error to cut the lead to two runs.

After Thompson retired WVWC in the fifth, UVa-Wise went to its bullpen in the sixth.

The inning started with a hit batter and an error before a line drive double play left a runner on first with two outs. Undeterred, the Bobcats plated two in in the inning thanks to back-to-back hits. Dominic Castello delivered the final hit in the inning, a two-run double to tie the contest at 4-4.

Junior Kellen Larkin would record the final out of the frame on a ground ball to third base to keep the game tied going to the seventh inning.

WVWC would insert its closer Chris Metrick into the contest and the right-hander's defense would fail him. After retiring Cagle on a ground out to begin the inning, Metrick would strikeout Smith only to see him reach first on a passed ball. A batter later, David Thomas bounced into what appeared to be a tailor made double play but, the Bobcats' third baseman sailed the throw into right field allowing Smith to advance to third.

With the go-ahead run at third, Banner elected to attempt a squeeze and redshirt sophomore Josh Haga executed the play perfectly as he laid down a bunt just up the first base line allowing Smith to score.

Metrick would get out of the jam without allowing further damage but, his team entered the home seventh down a run with three outs to play with.

Wilkinson would retire the first two men he faced before a Smith single put the tying run on and the winning run at the plate. The righty then induced a fielder's choice out to record the save and give his club its first win of the day.

Branham led the offensive attack with a 2-for-4 showing with a run scored. Larkin earned the win by throwing two pitches while the save was the third of the season for Wilkinson.

Game two saw UVa-Wise load the bases with nobody out in the top of the first but fail to score as WVWC starter Julio Medina would get a fly ball, a fielder's choice ground out and a ground out to shortstop to wiggle out of the jam.

In the home half of the inning, the Bobcats appeared to take a 1-0 lead when Erick Forbick doubled but, Thomas would cut down Jonathan Cintron at the plate to keep the game scoreless.

WVWC did score in the second inning on a run-scoring single off the bat of Bryson Fluke to give the hosts its first lead of the day.

The Cavs countered with two runs in the top of the third on a two-out, two-run homer by Smith.

An inning later, Blaum made it a two-run game when he doubled home Haga.

WVWC would cut the lead in half on a Smith RBI hit in the home half of the fourth before the Bobcats tied the game on a wild pitch in the fifth inning.

UVa-Wise would take advantage of defensive mistakes in the sixth inning to go back in front. An error led off the inning before a wild pitch put Thomas in scoring position with nobody out. Haga then moved the runner up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt before Blaum singled to make it a 4-3 contest.

Banner's club would score two more runs on a wild pitch and an error on the same play that allowed Blaum and Branham to score.

Balmer would work around a hit batsman in the home half of the inning to send the game to the seventh at 6-3.

After retiring the first two men, Balmer surrendered a walk and a base hit, forcing Wilkinson back in out of the bullpen. The senior faced just one hitter as Kyle Kania grounded out to Paz at third base to end the game and allow UVa-Wise to complete the doubleheader sweep.

Blaum recorded two of his team's six hits in the win while knocking in two and scoring a run.

With the sweep, the Cavs won 3-of-4 games in the series to move within a game of the final MEC Tournament spot which is currently held by West Virginia State. Second place Concord University sits two games ahead of UVa-Wise, the schools will play a four-game series this weekend. A series win by the Cavs would guarantee the program a spot in next week's league tournament.

The series begins Friday at Stallard Field; first pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 5 p.m.