Charleston, WV – Bluefield State University baseball came away with the game one win (3-2) and the game three win (25-6) to take the series over Wheeling University at Shawnee Sports Complex.
Game One
After two scoreless innings, the Big Blue brought home two to take the lead in the third. Sebastian Ortega lead off the inning with an infield single. Tahir Meulens reached on a fielder's choice and moved runners to second and third after an error by Wheeling. Cole Cote drove in the two runs after a double to right field. Wheeling scored one in the top of the fifth to cut the lead to one, but a triple by Meulens in the bottom of the inning brought in Ortega to take the Big Blue lead back to two. Wheeling added one in the top of the seventh, but pitcher Aiden Hedgepeth was able to get out of the inning to earn the save. Zach Powell earned the win on the mound for the Big Blue, throwing five innings only giving up one hit, striking out 11 and walking six.
Game Two
Wheeling University scored three in the second and four in the third to take the 7-0 lead over the Big Blue. Sam Walker started the third single for the Big Blue with a single to center followed by a walk from Ortega to put runners at first and second. Jordan Varela-Payne doubled to right field to bring in two for the Big Blue. After Cote drew a walk, Ty Sizemore doubled to center field to bring two more across the plate. Later in the inning Garret Hladilek got an RBI single to pull the Big Blue within two of Wheeling. After the Big Blue added a run in the fifth, Wheeling answered with nine runs in the fifth and another in the eighth to extend their lead over the Big Blue. The Big Blue added four in the eighth off of a grand slam by Brantley Durham and two more in the ninth, but couldn't overcome the deficit, falling 17-12.
Game Three
The Big Blue collected 18 hits during the 25-6 win over Wheeling University. Meulens and Varela-Payne started game three with back-to-back homeruns for the Big Blue. Ortega doubled in the second to bring in one for the Big Blue. In the third, the Big Blue scored a season high of 14 runs to extend their lead 17-5 over Wheeling. The Big Blue added five in the fifth and three in the eighth to take the victory over Wheeling. Sizemore collected three hits on the day followed by Meulens, Varela-Payne, Durham, Hladilek, Eric Green, and Erik Romero with two apiece. Jordan Livingston started on the mound for the Big Blue with Jackson Harless earning the win and Jason Fernandez, Braeden Major, Zane Eggleston and Blake Perry each pitching one inning.
Up Next
The Big Blue will travel to West Virginia State University Wednesday, March 1st for a single game at 1 p.m.
