WISE - - UVa-Wise softball returned to action Friday afternoon as the Cavaliers split a pair of games with the Cardinals of Wheeling Jesuit. The Cavs took game one with a 6-0 shutout and dropped game two, 3-2.
Alexis Miles put the Cavs (20-12, 9-7 MEC) on the board early with a solo homer over the right center field wall in the bottom of the first of the day's first game. Back-to-back singles by Kaylee Jones and Samantha Ely would place UVa-Wise in a position to score a second run. Henzel followed as she doubled in Jones to put the Cavs up 2-0 heading into the second.
Wheeling Jesuit (12-17, 8-6 MEC) would get runners on second and third with one out in the top of the second, but back-to-back strike outs by Taylor Brandts would leave the Cardinals with two stranded.
UVa-Wise would extend its lead as they put up four more runs in the home half of the fifth. Miles singled and advance to second on a Taylor Creasey bunt as Ely knocked one through the right side to put runners on the corners. Nikki Smith would drive in Miles on an RBI single to left field before Monica Brandts hit a three-run blast to bring home Ely and Smith.
Taylor Brandts would fan three in a row in the top of the seventh as the Cavs earned their second shutout of the week with a 6-0 win over the Cardinals.
Miles was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI while Ely went 3-for-3 with a run.
Following a no-hitter, Taylor Brandts (11-5) tossed a complete game as she gave up just two hits and fanned 14 inside the circle.
Wheeling's Mallory Chapman fell to 9-10 on the season with the loss as she fanned eight in six innings.
UVa-Wise would get its first run of game two on a Jones RBI single, plating Zoe Millard for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third.
The Cardinals would score three runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead over the Cavaliers. Alaina York would single before a bunt by Cassie Holstein put two runners on base for Wheeling. A sacrifice bunt by Brianna Grimes followed by a walk would load the bases for the Cardinals. With one out, Courtney Rogers would fly out to right field allowing York to cross home plate. Victoria Scott would then hit a two-RBI single up the middle to give Wheeling Jesuit a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the fifth.
Both teams would go scoreless as they entered the bottom of the seventh with the Cavaliers up to bat.
Entering the lineup as a pinch hitter for Creasey, Madison David knocked a double to left field. Creasey would reenter the ball game as Miles singled up the middle to put runners on the corners and the Cavs in a position to score. Jones then singled through the left field to plate Creasey and make it a one-run game. Miles and Jones would both advance on a wild pitch by the Cardinals as the Cavs looked to score the tying run. With two outs, Smith would load the bases for the Cavs on a walk, but a strike out would end the game as UVa-Wise fell 3-2.
Raychel Lapallo (5-2) suffered the loss for the Cavs as she tossed five innings, surrendering seven hits with a strikeout.
The Cardinals' Erin Unterbrink (3-7) picked up the win for Wheeling as she twirled 6 1/3 innings inside the circle, scattering 11 hits and fanning six.
Chapman earned her first save of the season as she struck out two in 2/3 of an inning.
UVa-Wise will face Concord University on Sunday, April 8, for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. at Cavalier Field.
