SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia State's softball team had to come from behind in both legs of Thursday's doubleheader against the Lincoln Lions, but WVSU pulled off a pair of one-run victories, scoring the winning runs in their final at-bats both times.

Post-Game Records
WVSU: 5-5
Lincoln (PA): 1-11

Game 1 - WVSU 6, Lincoln (PA) 5
Lincoln struck first and plated five runs over the first three innings. State got both of their lead-off hitters on base during the first two innings. Emele Clark was stranded at second in the first inning, and Emma Pauley never got past first base after her lead-off walk. State got on the board when Autumn Thompson hit a rocket into right field that resulted in a bases-clearing triple, 5-2. Emma Pauley hit a blooper into left center that scored Thompson, 5-3.

A Kaitlyn Cabral walk and Kerigan Moore single tacked on another run for State in the bottom of the fourth.

Lincoln managed to get a one-out triple in the top of the fifth, but Autumn Hall induced a pop-out and a ground-out to end the threat. State threatened in the bottom of the fifth and had Thompson on third and Hall on second with two outs. Pinch hitter Cassidy Cummings grounded out to the third baseman for the third out.

Lincoln went down in order in the top of the sixth. WVSU's bats came alive in the bottom of the inning, rattling off four straight hits. Leadoff hitter Cabral put a blooper into shallow right field that she stretched into a double. Moore hit a single into left field, advancing Cabral. Moore moved to second on the throw into third base. Clark then hit a single into shallow left field to score Cabral. Moore was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second, 5-5. A passed ball moved Clark to third and Addi Dillow hit a pop up just beyond second base that scored Clark. She advanced to second on a wild throw from the shortstop but was stranded, 6-5.

Lincoln got a runner aboard on a bunt single in the top of the seventh, but she was erased at third base on a 5-4-1 double play. The next batter struck out to give WVSU game one.

Hall got the win, advancing to 2-2 on the season. She fanned four and gave up one earned run in five-and-a-third innings of work. Clark went 2-for-2 with two runs scored, an RBI, and a walk. Thompson was 2-for-4 with a triple, a pair of RBIs, and a run and Moore was 2-for-3 with an RBI. WVSU picked up double-digit hits for the second time this season.

Game 2 - WVSU 4, Lincoln (PA) 3 (8 innings)
Lincoln once again started the game with hot bats, getting six or their 10 total hits in the top of the first inning, resulting in three runs scored. All six of their hits were singles. WVSU's starting pitcher Thompson recovered and retired 11 straight Lincoln Batters through to the top of the fifth inning. WVSU, meanwhile, had a runner on third in each of the second and third innings, but both were stranded.  

WVSU's best chance came in the sixth inning when Cassidy Cummings hit her first collegiate triple to lead off. A bunt single from Thompson put runners on the corners with nobody out. Thompson was thrown out trying to steal second on the next pitch, and then a line out and pop out by the next two batters ended the WVSU threat.

Lincoln had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the seventh, but Thompson fanned the next batter and then induced a ground out to get herself out of the jam.

In the bottom of the seventh, Cabral earned a one-out walk, then got to third on a stolen base and passed ball. Pinch hitter Madison Moon hammered a single through the left side, scoring Cabral. Moore re-entered for Moon and stole second base on the first pitch to Clark, but the throw down from the catcher was wild and ended up going all the way to the center field fence, allowing Moore to score, 3-2. Clark eventually singled and stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Cummings ripped her second triple of the game, this time to left center field, scoring Clark and tying the game at three-all. 

Lincoln went down in order in the top of the eighth, stranding their tiebreak runner at third. 

In the bottom half of the inning, Jayde Baron pinch ran for Autumn Thompson, who was placed on second via the tiebreaker rule. She advanced to third on Pauley's fly out and two batters later came home when Avery Contreras drove her only hit of the game, and second of the season, into right field, setting off the WVSU celebration. 

Cummings was 2-for-3 with a pair of triples and an RBI. Moon was 1-for-1 with an RBI. Thompson picked up her second win of the season, fanning six and walking just one hitter in the complete game.

Up Next
West Virginia State will head to Columbus, Ohio to take on Ohio Dominican on Saturday, March 2. The first game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.