INSTITUTE, W.Va. – West Virginia State's baseball team swept the Wheeling Cardinals on Monday afternoon at Cal Bailey Field, requiring an extra inning to come from behind and win 4-3 in the first game before dominating the Cardinals in game two, 11-1. 

Final Records
WVSU: 8-7, 3-1 MEC
Wheeling: 9-8, 0-4 MEC

Game 1: West Virginia State 4, Wheeling 3 (Final/8)

The Yellow Jackets fell behind early in the first game of the afternoon with three runs scored by Wheeling in the top of the first. A single through the left side of the infield scored two before a single to right field scored another run, 3-0.

State got one run back in the bottom of the fourth. Connor Fizer doubled to right center to drive in Ryan Kay from second base, 3-1.

The Yellow Jackets then evened the score in the bottom of the fifth. Michael Bittinger drew a walk before stealing second base. Michael Stone then doubled to right center to bring in Bittinger, 3-2. Kyle Waters was next up to the plate and brought Stone home with a single into left field, 3-3.

Riley Vadasz and Camron Lewis combined for 5.1 scoreless innings pitched in relief with only one hit allowed each. Lewis struck out four Cardinals while Vadasz sat down three.

Foster Conis came in to pitch in the top of the eighth and stranded two. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Kay led off with a walk. Fizer doubled for the second time later in the half inning to move Kay over to third. Mike Huber then walked off with a single to left field. 

Game 2: West Virginia State 11, Wheeling 1 (Final/7)

In contrast to the first game, State got off the schneid in the bottom of the second inning Nate Paulsen boarding the bags thanks to a full-count walk. Bittinger later crushed the first pitch he saw over the left field wall to score them both, 2-0. Wheeling got aboard in the next half inning, but he was cut down thanks to a comebacker that was turned into a Jackets double play.

Kay hit a solo shot in the bottom of the third, 3-0. It was the second time the left field wall was attacked, but not the last. 

All was quiet until the bottom of the fifth inning when Wheeling replaced their starting pitcher. The Jackets jumped all over him with a single and a walk for the first two batters. An RBI sac bunt attempt by Kyle Waters went awry for Wheeling when the pitcher overthrew the first baseman and kept Waters on base. Tyler Overaitis singled to center field to plate two more, 6-0. Glick hit a sac fly for State's fourth run of the inning and Paulsen hit a three-run jack, again over the left field wall to give State the double-digit lead, 10-0.

Waters hit his second sacrifice of the game in the bottom of the sixth to score Stone and complete the Yellow Jacket scoring, 11-0. Wheeling hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh, but the final two batters struck out and grounded out.

Tyler Lafferty tossed the complete game victory, allowing one run and striking out four.

Up Next
A scheduled 9-inning non-conference contest against Wilberforce University on Tuesday was postponed, so the Jackets will head to Fairmont on Saturday, March 25 for a Mountain East doubleheader against the Fighting Falcons. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1:00 pm.