ELKINS, W.Va. — Davis & Elkins College split its Mountain East Conference doubleheader against West Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday at Joni Smith Field, dropping the opener 5-2 before storming back for a 9-5 win in Game 2.
Game 1: WVWC 5, D&E 2
Davis & Elkins College jumped out to an early lead but couldn't hold on as West Virginia Wesleyan rallied for a 5-2 win Wednesday afternoon in Mountain East Conference softball action.
Senior Linzey Allard provided the early spark for the Senators, launching a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning — her tenth long ball of the season — to give D&E a 2-0 advantage.
The Bobcats responded with a run in the fourth before erupting for three more in the sixth to take control. They added an insurance run in the seventh and held the Senators scoreless over the final six frames.
Sophomore pitcher Sammie Jarvis tossed a complete game for D&E, allowing five hits and five runs (two earned) while striking out six.
Game 2: WVWC 5, D&E 9
The Senators used a late offensive surge to down West Virginia Wesleyan, 9-5, in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader.
West Virginia Wesleyan jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning, capitalizing on three hits, two walks, and a pair of D&E errors. D&E began to chip away in the third, when freshman Meg Henkle launched her first collegiate home run — a solo shot to left — to put the Senators on the board. In the fourth, Jules Gutierrez blasted a two-run homer to left to cut the deficit to 5-3. The comeback continued in the fifth as Ashlyn Zapach drove in a run with a single, followed by an RBI knock from Lilly Saucedo to tie the game. D&E broke it open in the sixth with five runs, highlighted by an RBI single from Gweny Wessling, a fielding error that brought home another run, a two-RBI single from Alyssa Haynes, and a third RBI single from Zapach to seal the 9-5 victory.
Junior Dawn Morris earned the win in relief, delivering a dominant performance with 6.2 shutout innings. She allowed just two hits, walked three, and struck out one on 91 pitches. Morris induced 14 groundouts and five flyouts to keep the Bobcats off the board after the opening frame. Saylor Kneeland started the game but was chased after recording just one out, allowing five runs (one earned) on three hits.
The victory moves Davis & Elkins to 11-20 overall and 6-4 in MEC play.
Up Next
The team hosts Salem University on Saturday, March 29 in a non-conference Code Red doubleheader starting at noon at Joni Smith Field.
