WHEELING – In a crisp, 1-hour and 46-minute showdown at JB Chambers I-470 Complex in Wheeling, West Virginia Wesleyan used timely hitting and a dominant mound performance to outlast Wheeling University, 3–2, in the first game of a Saturday afternoon doubleheader marked by strong pitching and missed opportunities.
The Bobcats’ Hunter Eplin (2-3) delivered a masterful complete game for the Bobcats, scattering four hits while striking out a season-high 13 batters. The right-hander showed great command, allowing just one walk and retiring the final six batters he faced to seal the win for Wesleyan (3–12).
The Bobcats took advantage of a pair of first-inning errors by Wheeling shortstop Nicholas Schulz to plate two unearned runs in the top of the second. After Thatcher Poteat reached on an error and Alex Smith followed with another grounder misplayed at short, third baseman Kohei Fujishita capitalized with a two-RBI single to right. Though Fujishita was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double, the damage was done.
Wheeling (6–10) responded quickly in the bottom half of the frame. After Spencer Craig laced a double to the gap in right-center and Schulz followed with a single, Chris Sauer tied the game with a two-run double off the left field wall.
From there, both pitchers settled in. Eplin and Wheeling’s Wes Landis matched zeroes over the next three innings, each keeping opposing hitters guessing. Eplin’s off-speed command was particularly effective, notching at least one strikeout in every frame and striking out the side in the third.
The breakthrough came in the sixth. With two outs, Bobcat second baseman Grant Shumaker legged out an infield single and promptly swiped second base. Alex Smith followed with a clutch RBI double to left, giving Wesleyan a 3–2 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Landis (1–2) was solid despite taking the loss, allowing five hits and three runs (just one earned) over seven innings while fanning five and walking none. But the defense behind him—particularly three errors—proved costly.
Offensively, Wheeling managed just four hits, with Craig’s 2-for-3 effort providing the lone multi-hit performance. The Cardinals struck out 13 times and left three runners on base.
Wesleyan’s Malik Wood added a pair of singles and Fujishita led the team with two RBIs. Smith finished 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI, including the game-winning knock.
In the nightcap, Wesleyan completed the doubleheader sweep with a 2–1 victory, riding a lights-out performance from senior right-hander Alex Hernandez and capitalizing on a fifth-inning miscue to squeeze out the win.
Scoreless through four, the Bobcats broke the deadlock in the top of the fifth. First baseman Drew Jrolf drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a single by third baseman Kohei Fujishita. When Malik Wood reached on a throwing error by Wilcox, the bases were loaded with nobody out. Though Wilcox regrouped to get a strikeout and a sacrifice fly from Jack Tilton, Jrolf scored the game’s first run on a wild pitch, and Fujishita crossed on Tilton’s sac fly to left to give Wesleyan a 2–0 lead.
Wheeling mounted a threat in the sixth when catcher Cade Lacy led off with a single and scored on an RBI single by Josh Rush to cut the deficit to 2–1. The Cardinals put the tying run on third later that inning, but Hernandez escaped by inducing a pop-up to end the frame.
Wheeling’s final push in the seventh fizzled after Chris Sauer singled and Lacy was hit by a pitch to put the tying and go-ahead runs on base. But Hernandez buckled down once more, coaxing a game-ending fielder’s choice to preserve the win and sweep.
Offensively, the Bobcats were led by Jrolf, who went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. Fujishita also added a hit and scored, while Luke Burner recorded his first double of the season. Tilton drove in the only earned run for Wesleyan with his sac fly in the fifth.
For Wheeling, Christian Boyles was a bright spot at the top of the order, going 2-for-3 with a double, while Rush delivered the team’s lone RBI.
