BUCKHANNON — Behind a complete-game performance from Kendall Stoffel and a timely offensive burst in the second inning, West Virginia Wesleyan softball opened its doubleheader Thursday with a commanding 5–1 victory over West Virginia State University at Culpepper Field.
Stoffel (W, 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) was in complete control from the opening pitch, scattering just two hits over seven innings and not allowing an earned run. She struck out seven batters and needed just 99 pitches to finish off the Yellow Jackets.
Wesleyan took control in the bottom of the second, capitalizing on defensive miscues to plate three unearned runs. After a leadoff error put pressure on the Yellow Jackets, the Lady Bobcats loaded the bases on back-to-back singles by Josi Fix and Gracey Arnold. Rhiannon Godley opened the scoring with an RBI single, and Alyssa Rohr followed by reaching on an error to bring in another. Lynzee Hague then took a pitch to the body with the bases loaded, plating the third run of the inning.
The Lady Bobcats added insurance in the fifth when catcher Andie Dizon turned on a pitch and launched a solo home run to left field, her first of the season. Dizon finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, continuing to establish herself as a key power presence in the lineup.
Despite a solid outing from starter Autumn Hall (5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 ER), State couldn’t generate enough offense to keep pace. The Yellow Jackets managed just two hits — singles from Hall and designated player Kylie Price — and their only run came in the third on a pair of defensive errors by Wesleyan, allowing Sydney Shamblin to score.
A valiant seventh-inning rally came up just shy for Wesleyan in the nightcap of Thursday’s doubleheader, as the Lady Bobcats dropped a hard-fought 8–7 contest to State.
State wasted no time jumping on Wesleyan starter Kelsi Brown, scoring five runs across the first two innings. Emily Bechtel was the centerpiece of the offensive onslaught, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, including a two-run double in the second and a solo home run in the fourth. Bechtel also stole a base and scored twice in a standout effort that led the Jackets’ 11-hit attack.
Emma Pauley chipped in with two hits and two RBIs, while Chloe Treadway and Kerigan Moore each added a pair of hits and a run scored. Pauley, Bechtel, and Treadway all collected extra-base hits, as the Jackets built an 8–1 lead by the middle of the fourth.
Despite the early deficit, Wesleyan clawed its way back into the game, scoring four runs in the fifth inning. Rohr (3-for-4, RBI, BB, R) sparked the offense with a leadoff single and later scored on Hague’s RBI fielder’s choice. Dizon and Sydney Leadbetter followed with hits, and Ella Fournier and Arnold each drove in runs as the Bobcats trimmed the deficit to 8–5.
Wesleyan continued to pressure in the seventh. Leadbetter walked and scored on a groundout by Madison Austra, and Rohr added an RBI walk with the bases loaded to make it 8–7. With the tying run on second and the winning run on first, reliever Kelley Bickers entered and induced a lineout to center to seal the victory for the Jackets.
