Early Offense Leads Softball to Win Over Cedarville
Box Score Owensboro, KY. – Cold temperatures altered the days schedule on day one of the Blue Bridge Battle, but the Wheeling University Softball (3-0, 0-0) found it's way on the field. They were originally supposed to take on Ashland University, but ended up taking on Cedarville University after some schedule shuffling. The Cardinals scored early and often and it helped lead them to their third straight win to start the season as they took down the Yellow Jackets 8-4.
The Cardinals got their offense going from the first batter of the game as Taylor Hradek reached on a leadoff single. She would steal second before a passed ball moved her to third and sent Makie Paxon to first with a walk. Brooke Slomkowski would come through with the first big hit of the day, lining an RBI single up the middle to give Wheeling a 1-0 lead. Gina Fogle would bring in a run on an RBI groundout, and Marissa Sanchez followed suit with a ground out that scored Slomkowski and face Wheeling a 3-0 lead. Madison Macy made her first start of the 2022 season and used the run support to her advantage as she allowed just one hit in the inning and brought her team back to the bat racks in the top of the second.
They went back to work immediately getting two runners in scoring position. Alisa Shelt reached on a throwing error and Cassi Roman walked before a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third with no outs. Hradek would pick up those two runners two batters later with a 2 RBI single to center that broke Wheeling's lead open to 5-0 after an inning and a half of play. The Yellow Jackets would respond with a run in the bottom of the second and brought the score to 5-1. The Cardinals were kept off the board in the third, but answered back once again in the fourth as an RBI double by Cassie Feyh extended the Wheeling lead to 6-1. Macy kept working hard on the mound and threw up back-to-back zeroes in the third and fourth to keep her team comfortably in front.
The Cardinals offense just kept coming in the fifth when the team added two more runs to it's total to up the lead to 8-1. The Cardinals loaded the bases once again with nobody out before Shelt reached on a fielder's choice to bring the first run in, but the runner was cut down between second and third. The second run would come two batters later when Maddie Munoz singled home a run to get the Cardinals their eight run advantage. Cedarville would have their biggest offensive outburst in the bottom of the fifth, when they scored three runs, but the early offense was enough to keep Wheeling ahead 8-4. Aubrie Lafferty finished the game with a scoreless seventh inning and Wheeling secure the victory 8-4.
Taylor Hradek led the offense for Wheeling doing 3-5 with two RBI in the game and was one of three Cardinals to finish with Multiple hits in the game. Madeira Munoz added a 2-3 day at the plate with an RBI and Gina Fogle went 2-4 while driving in a run. Brooke Slomkowski and Marissa Sanchez each drove in a run while reaching base once in the game. Madison Macy went 6.0 innings allowing you runs, none earned, on six hits while walking three and striking out four. Lafferty increased her scoreless inning streak to 7.0 with a scoreless seventh inning while walking one.
The Wheeling University Softball team returns to action on Saturday morning when they take on the University of Illinois Springfield at 10 AM followed by University of Indianapolis at 12 pm.