BUCKHANNON, W.VA. – West Virginia State Baseball split on their final day of their four-game series with Mountain East Conference division foes West Virginia Wesleyan, winning the opener 4-0 before falling in the finale 3-4 at Hank Ellis Field Sunday.

State moves to 20-17 on the season and remains at .500 in league play at 12-12, while Wesleyan moves to 3-32 on the season.

Junior Trey Junkins posted five hits on the day with four RBI, while graduate student Andrew Stone scored four times on the day and also walked four times.  

In the opening contest, starter Quincy Thornton tossed a gem, delivering State their first shutout victory of the season.

GAME 1: WVSU 4, WESLEYAN 0
The Yellow Jackets wasted no time getting on the board, scoring a run in the first inning after graduate Stone led off the contest with a single to right field, stole second, and then came home on a single placed perfectly into center field from Junkins.

Stone scored again in the third inning, this time courtesy of a sacrifice fly from freshman Nathan Paulsen.

The 2-0 lead remained until the top of the sixth, when sophomore Ryan Kay led off the frame with a single into center field, coming home on a connection from graduate student Austin Martin. Classmate Andrew Sharp also scored, again courtesy of Junkins with an infield single to short, to give State the 4-0 margin.

Thornton tossed the complete game shutout, picking up his third win of the year while striking out three, surrendering just one walk and three hits.

GAME 2: WVSU 3, WESLEYAN 4
The Yellow Jackets struck first once again, as Stone led off the contest with a triple to deep left center, coming home the next at bat on a sacrifice fly.

 State added cushion in the third, plating a pair of runs with two outs. Once again, Stone sparked the magic, doubling to right field to keep the inning alive. He came home on a Junkins connection, and then Junkins himself came home on a single to left from Paulsen.

The Bobcats threatened and subsequently took the lead, getting on the board in the third and then plating three more runs in the fifth. A trio of singles trimmed the lead to 3-2, and then a wild pitch allowed both Bobcats on base to move into scoring position, eventually coming home on a single to left.

Wesleyan's 4-3 lead would hold, as the Bobcats avoided the sweep.

UP NEXT
State returns home next weekend, welcoming conference foes Davis & Elkins for a four-game set beginning Saturday, April 30. Live stats and video will be available for all four contests.