West Virginia State and West Virginia Wesleyan delivered a day of drama, grit, and baseball brilliance as they split their Monday doubleheader in Mountain East Conference play at Cal Bailey Field. The Bobcats edged Game 1 with a 2-1 win behind a masterclass on the mound by Anthony Hernandez, while the Yellow Jackets came roaring back in Game 2 with a 6-3 victory, showcasing their offensive depth and bullpen strength.
Game 1 was a pitcher’s duel from the start. Wesleyan’s Anthony Hernandez was in complete control, going the distance in a seven-inning gem. He scattered six hits, struck out three, walked three, and allowed just one run in the first inning. That early run came courtesy of West Virginia State’s Kyle Waters, who led off with a walk and later scored on Brodie Guenther’s two-out RBI double.
Despite the early blow, Hernandez stayed composed and leaned on error-free defense. Wesleyan answered in the fourth, capitalizing on a fielding error. After a leadoff single by Drew Jrolf, a misplay by State’s second baseman set up a run-scoring double play ball from Kohei Fujishita, tying the game at 1-1.
The Bobcats sealed the deal in the seventh inning. Josh Ayala led off with a deep double, was advanced to third on a bunt by Alex Smith, and scored on a sac fly from Malik Wood. That go-ahead run was enough, as Hernandez shut the door in the bottom of the inning.
West Virginia State’s Ayden Hodges delivered a solid outing despite the loss. The junior pitcher gave up just three hits and two runs (only one earned) while fanning six. State had chances, including a leadoff double in the sixth and a runner in scoring position in the final inning, but couldn’t break through.
Connor Fizer led State with two doubles, while Waters and Tyler Overaitis added hits. Still, it was Wesleyan’s efficient use of limited offense—just three hits in total—that made the difference.
In Game 2, West Virginia State flipped the script with an aggressive approach at the plate and a lockdown bullpen. The Yellow Jackets exploded for 11 hits and scored in four of the first five innings, ultimately grabbing a 6-3 win.
The game started with fireworks as Waters doubled and scored in the opening frame. Later in the inning, Nathan Paulsen added a double and came home on an RBI single from Overaitis. Though Wesleyan narrowed the gap with a sac groundout in the second, State responded with RBI hits from Michael Bittinger and Paulsen to build a 4-1 lead.
Wesleyan showed some fight. Kohei Fujishita launched his first home run of the season in the fourth, and a wild pitch allowed Ayala to score, trimming the deficit to 4-3. But West Virginia State struck right back. Ethan Spolarich stole the show—literally—with a daring steal of home during a double steal, restoring a two-run cushion. Spolarich added an RBI single in the fifth, making it 6-3.
That would be the final score, thanks to steady relief pitching from Jared Nethercut, who shut down Wesleyan over the final three innings. He allowed just three hits, struck out one, and closed out the win with poise.
Eli Brogan, starting for Wesleyan, was hit hard—giving up 11 hits and six runs across 4.1 innings. Drake Long and Austin Mann were solid in relief, but the early damage was too much to overcome.
Wesleyan’s offense came from Fujishita’s homer and multi-hit efforts by Shumaker and Smith. But missed opportunities—including seven stranded runners and three double plays—kept the Bobcats from mounting a comeback.
On the flip side, West Virginia State had a well-rounded effort. Waters, Paulsen, Bittinger, and Spolarich each recorded two hits, while the team stole three bases and turned two key double plays.
The doubleheader split leaves both teams with momentum to build on—Wesleyan for their gutsy pitching and defense, and State for their explosive offense and bullpen depth.
