CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia State University softball team split a doubleheader with Charleston on Thursday afternoon. The Yellow Jackets were on the losing end of a pitcher's duel in the first game, 1-0. They reversed their fortunes in the second game by taking a handsome lead in the fourth inning and holding on to win it, 7-3.

Postgame Records
WVSU: 21-9, 18-4 MEC
UC: 25-7, 18-4 MEC

Game 1: UC 1, WVSU 0, Final/7

• Charleston's Danielle Bauer tossed a complete game in which she allowed only three hits and one base on balls.
• Junior Kasey Murphy (7-5) undeservedly took the loss for her one run given up in six innings pitched. She gave up seven hits, of which only one was for extra bases, and had five strike outs.
• The game was decided by a solo homerun from UC's Gracie Donato in the bottom of the sixth.

Game 2: WVSU 7, UC 3, Final/7

• Senior Paige Scruggs went 2-for-3 with one run scored and one RBI. She led the Yellow Jackets in hits.
• Junior Emma Ruth's only hit was a valuable 2-RBI double. She also ended up rounding the bases to account for another run.
• Freshman Autumn Thompson (9-2) gave up one run in three separate innings but kept her composure well enough to never let the game slip away.

Quick Recap

Charleston's hero from the first game, Gracie Donato, carried her momentum over into the second game. She hit an RBI-double in the first inning and followed it up with another solo homer in the third to put her team in front, 2-0. Danielle Bauer was also given the start in the second game and threw a one-hitter through three innings.

When Bauer was finally removed from the game before the start of the fourth inning, West Virginia State's bats came to life. Abby Loyd walked, Scruggs singled, and Emma Ruth doubled to clear the bases and tie the game, 2-2. Autumn Thompson then singled, and Emily Moore walked to load the bases and force a pitching change.  

The second relief pitcher in the top of the fourth did not fare much better against WVSU's sluggers. Four more runs were accumulated before the middle of the inning, 6-2. Lebsock, Meeks, and Scruggs each drove in one run while another run was scored on an infield error.

Charleston got one run back in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly, 6-3.

In the top of the seventh, the Yellow Jackets made it 7-3 with a walk and a combination of errors by the UC infield. In the bottom of the seventh, Thompson retired the side in order.

Next Up
Saturday, April 24: @ Davis & Elkins (10-4, 10-4 MEC) 12 p.m./2 p.m.