GLENVILLE, West Virginia - The Walsh Cavaliers softball team opened the 2020 season in West Virginia and they tested out how resilient the team is right off the bat on Friday (Feb. 21) afternoon. Walsh rallied in both ends of the doubleheader to bring home a pair of 7-5 comeback wins over the Glenville State Pioneers. 

Head Coach Anna Ball was incredibly pleased with the first game action of the 2020 season, "We had a great team day to open the 2020 season. We are very proud of the fight, resiliency, and execution late in the games that we showed to get the sweep today. We were calm under pressure and handled the come back late in both games with a high level of softball acumen. We are excited to watch this team grow over the rest of the season! Swords Up!"

Game One

Glenville State opened the game with two runs in the second inning and one in the third inning, taking a 3-0 lead after three frames. Following a leadoff double by Emma Bobey in the fourth inning, Arianna Ott drilled a two-run home run to left center field as Walsh cut the lead to 3-2. The Pioneers answered with a two-run shot in the bottom of the fourth, making it 5-2 Glenville State. The Cavaliers used another two-run frame in the fifth inning. Katelyn Kennedy lined a pinch-hit double to left field and came around to score on a RBI single by Sarah Moats. Moats scored on a wild pitch two batters later, putting Walsh within a run at 5-4. The rally was completed in the seventh inning on a three-spot for the Cavaliers offense. Moats and Yasmine Rivera each reached on one-out singles before Bobey followed with a two-run double. Bobey crossed the plate on a RBI groundout from Katelyn Loughman as Walsh gained a 7-5 lead. 

After Emily Pratt gave up five runs (four earned) on four hits and four walks in four innings pitched, Katelyn Wilhelm came out of the bullpen and tossed three shutout innings with three walks and four strikeouts. Pratt also fanned four batters in her first collegiate start. 

Moats went three-for-four in her first game in the leadoff spot with two runs scored, one RBI and a double. Bobey was two-for-two with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI. Ott accounted for two runs on her first collegiate bomb. 

Game Two

Bobey wasted little time in game two as she plated Moats with a RBI single three batters in. Glenville State regained the 3-1 lead with a three-run bottom of the first. Kalin Kovach began the second inning with a solo homer in center field as her first collegiate blast got the Cavaliers within 3-2. A two-run third inning put the Pioneers up 5-2 after three innings. After two scoreless innings, the offense came alive for a five-run sixth inning! Clare Mewhinney blasted a solo home run to left field, kickstarting the rally. Bobey drove in her second run of the game and fourth of the day with a RBI single. Ott gave the Cavaliers the 6-5 lead with a two-run double and Jessie Rock ended the scoring with a RBI groundout. 

Alison Harper started the game and allowed five runs on five hits and one walk in 2.2 innings. Sara Gockenbach entered in relief and threw a gem. The right-hander blanked the Pioneers over 4.1 innings with two walks and a career-high ten strikeouts. Gockenbach retired ten of her 15 batters for her first win of the year. 

Walsh totaled 12 hits in the nightcap between seven different hitters. Moats led with three hits and two runs as she compiled six hits and four runs in two games. Bobey had two hits, two RBI and two walks. Kovach and Mewhinney both had two hits (including a home run) in the contest. 

The Cavaliers will be off for eight days before traveling to Greenwood, South Carolina next weekend for the Bearcat Challenge. 

-WC-