INSTITUTE, W.Va. -- The West Virginia State University softball team split a twinbill with Charleston on Wednesday afternoon at Lady Jackets Field. The Golden Eagles won the first contest, 9-4, before the Yellow Jackets redeemed themselves with a 9-0 victory in the second game.

Postgame Records

WVSU: 15-7, 12-2 MEC
UC: 15-5, 8-2 MEC

Game 1: UC 9, WVSU 4, Final/7

• Junior first baseman Emma Ruth went 2-for-4 with a homerun, an RBI, and a run scored. Fifth-year catcher Madison Rafuson also went 2-for-4 in the first game. She had two doubles with one run driven in and one run scored.
• Charleston had 18 hits as a team compared to seven by West Virginia State.
• UC brought in a relief pitcher after four innings who held the Yellow Jackets to one run on two hits in the final three innings. 

Quick Recap

Kasey Murphy got out of a jam in the top of the second with some help from center fielder Danielle Lebsock. Lebsock threw a bullet to nail the runner at home plate that was trying to score from second. 

In the top of the third, Charleston loaded the bases with no outs. West Virginia State limited the damage by throwing out two runners at home and allowing just one run to score, 1-0. The Golden Eagles then tacked on two runs in the top of the fourth to make it 3-0. 

The Yellow Jackets responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie it, 3-3.Paige Scruggs started off the half inning with a leadoff triple. Madison Rafuson doubled to left center to score Scruggs and get into scoring position, 3-1. Murphy drove in Rafuson with an RBI-single up the middle, 3-2. With the bases loaded and two outs, Emele Clark drove in Murphy with another RBI-single up the middle to tie the game, 3-3.

UC added a run in the fifth and five runs in the top of the seventh to go up by six, 9-3. In the bottom of the seventh, Emma Ruth launched a solo shot to left center to get one run back, 9-4, before the final out.

Game 2: WVSU 9, UC 0, Final/5

• Freshman Autumn Thompson (7-1) tossed a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits in five innings pitched. She also went 2-for-2 with a double and a sacrifice fly while driving in three runs and crossing home plate once.
• Five Yellow Jackets had multi-hit performances. Freshman Lindsey Phares had two doubles and senior Paige Scruggs hit a homerun.
• WVSU went up by eight runs after the third inning and never let up to end the game early.

Quick Recap

Autumn Thompson was lights out in the circle to keep Charleston off the scoreboard. Only two Golden Eagles were able to reach base in the game with a couple of singles.

A costly error by UC allowed two runs to score in the bottom of the first before a sacrifice fly from Thompson brought in a third run, 3-0. 

The Yellow Jackets loaded the bases with three singles in their first three at bats in the bottom of the third. One run was walked in before Thompson and Phares both doubled to drive in two runs each, 8-0.

A ninth run was scored by West Virginia State in the fourth inning when Scruggs belted a solo homerun, 9-0. Thompson then retired the side in the top of the fifth to eight-run rule Charleston.

Up Next

Saturday, April 10: vs. West Virginia Wesleyan (DH) 1 p.m.