WHEELING, W.Va.—The Wheeling Jesuit baseball team earned a split on Saturday against the Battlers of Alderson-Broaddus College. WJU won the opener by a scoe of 11-3 and dropped the nightcap 4-1.
In game one, The Cardinals (7-18, 4-10 WVIAC) put the first run on the board in the first inning. WJU’s lead-off batter, Jordan Kraus, opened the game with a double to the left centerfield gap, and two batters later, Patrick Ammar singled to centerfield for the game’s first RBI.
The Battlers (13-10, 8-7 WVIAC) tied the game in the second inning which was generated by a base hit, two walks and a sacrifice fly out. The game remained a 1-1 stalemate until the fourth inning when Jesuit exploded for 10 runs on six hits and five free passes. Ammar was the first Cardinal to reach base as he was hit by a pitch, and Robbie Daviafollowed with a double to centerfield for a RBI. Corey Hull drew a walk and Nick Briski singled behind him.
With bases loaded, the AB pitching staff handed out three consecutive walks, plating three runs. Chad Ford, Mitch Ludewig and Patrick Biega all received RBI as Jesuit took a 8-1 advantage. Kraus and Cory Wickham added RBI singles while Ammar’s sacrifice fly out plated the Cardinals eighth run of the inning. Hull delivered the inning’s final blow, singling to left field for two RBI.
The Battlers plated two runs in the sixth inning, however, the Cardinals double-digit lead was too much to overcome as WJU held on for an 11-3 game one victory.
WJU pitcher, Tony Acierno, earned the victory in six complete innings of work. Acierno faced 25 batters, allowing only four hits and one earned run with two walks and three strikeouts. Relief pitcher, Justin Fritts, finished the game with a three-up, three-down inning while striking out the final batter.
Jesuit pounded out 12 hits as Kraus led the Cardinals’ offense with a 3-for-4 effort. Ammar, Davia and Hull followed with two hits each while Wickham, Briski and Ludewig added singles.
Jesuit started the scoring in game two as Kraus opened with a lead-off single to left centerfield. Ammar moved Kraus to third base with a singles, and a sacrifice fly out by Davia plated WJU’s first run.
The Battlers manufactured a run to tie the game, 1-1, in the fourth inning and captured the lead in the fifth. AB started the fourth with a double and scored the runner with a routine ground ball to second base. An inning later, the Battlers pounded out two hits, a single and a homerun, for a 3-1 advantage.
AB added an insurance run in the sixth inning, and the Cardinals left three runners stranded in the final two at-bats.
WJU pitcher, Jordan Kraus, threw a complete game, allowing eight hits and four earned runs with one walk and five strikeouts.
Jesuit scattered six hits around the yard as Hull led with two while Kraus, Ammar, Shaun Gutkin and Michael Adams all had hits.
The Cardinals will be back in action on Wednesday, April 3 in Institute, W.Va. against West Virginia State University. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
