SSU Sports Information

Shawnee State (29-10, 10-8) finished the four-game series against the visiting Golden Bears of West Virginia Tech (18-27) with a sweep. The Bears had great starting pitching once again to help take four games in the non-conference affair.

The Bears took the third straight game in the four-game series against West Virginia Tech with a strong pitching performance behind Carter Bledsoe and a total team effort to score seven runs on eight hits.

Just like yesterday, Quentin Everman started Shawnee State off by getting on base and three batters later it was Colin Keim that doubled to left center allowing Everman to score.

Adam Wamsley of Wheelersburg, who went 2-for-3 with two runs batted in and a run scored, followed Keim with a single to right field and the Bears were off and rolling early to back starting pitcher Bledsoe.

Golden Bears’ Jose Soto singled off Bledsoe in the first inning but Bledsoe would not allow another hit until the top of the sixth inning when Austin Lucas doubled. The hit broke a streak of 14 batters in a row retired by Bledsoe.

Leading 2-0, Shawnee State scored in the bottom of the fifth from a wild pitch, allowing Cody Spires, who finished 2-for-3 with and RBI, to cross home plate and extend the lead to 3-0.

In the sixth inning the Golden Bears looked to respond with leadoff hitter Tyler Anderson only to see Danny Gesick make an incredible catch falling over the foul line fence.

West Virginia Tech finally broke through and Lucas doubled to left center. The Golden Bears scored a run off a squeeze bunt and left runners on third and second later in the inning.

Bledsoe (4-7) who finished the day throwing 5 and 2/3 innings allowed one run on three hits and was replaced with junior pitcher Jordan Williams with two outs.

With the tying run on second for West Virginia Tech, Williams struck out Soto who was batting .324 on the year with 27 RBI’s and picked up the save for the Bears.

Shawnee State carried the momentum into the bottom of the sixth as they blew open a 3-1 lead, scoring four runs on four hits to take the first game 7-1.

In the final game it was Everman once again that got on base for the Bears in the first inning on a single. Cody Morrison, who went 0-for-3 in game one, doubled scoring Everman from first.

The score gave Shawnee State an early 1-0 lead which soon became a 5-0 lead as the Bears scored in the first four innings of the game.

While Shawnee State increased their lead in the first four innings of play, starting pitcher Brandon Boyd held West Virginia Tech scoreless.

Boyd (2-1) pitched 6 and 2/3 innings allowing two unearned runs on three hits while striking out four batters.

For the day, Shawnee State saw Bledsoe and Boyd combine to pitch 12 and 1/3 innings and allowing only six total hits to West Virginia Tech.

The Bears will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Canton to take on Walsh University in a non-conference clash. The Bears will take on the University of Cumberlands in the final regular season weekend for Shawnee State on April 20.