AVON, Ohio – To start the day, Notre Dame College was within striking distance and nearly came back in game one, but Wheeling University held on to win, 4-3. In game two, junior Matthew Brown took the ball on the mound and went seven innings, allowing one run. The Falcons won, 2-1, and split the four-game series with Wheeling over the weekend.
 
In the first game of the day, Notre Dame's pitcher Johnny Anservitz worked out of trouble in the first three innings. In each of those innings, Wheeling had at least one runner in scoring position, but nobody crossed home plate.
 
Anservitz pitched six innings, striking out five hitters, and only one of his four runs allowed were earned.
 
NDC took the lead in the bottom of the second inning. Senior Aaron Miranda hit a leadoff single and he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior Damion Lagaspe. Freshman Devon Morris hit an infield single, but then the Wheeling second baseman threw the ball away and Miranda came around to score the first run of the game.

That NDC lead would stand until the top of the fifth inning. With two out, a Notre Dame error on a fly ball allowed a run to score and the inning to continue. Later in the frame, a two-run double gave Wheeling a 3-1 lead. The Cardinals would add an important insurance run in the seventh inning with an RBI single.
 
The Falcons nearly came back in the bottom of the seventh, scoring two runs on three hits. Legaspe led off with a single and, after a pitching change, Morris doubled to right field. With two runners in scoring position, freshman Hudson Wesney drove one in with a sacrifice fly and that was followed by a Devon Minney single. After another pitching change, an error on a pickoff attempt allowed a second run to score, with only one out. WU pitching was finally able to get out of the inning and secure the win.
 
Both freshman Carson Petrecca and Morris had two hits in the game.
 
All of the scoring in game two was done in the first two innings. In the top of the first inning, the Cardinals got a runner to second base on an NDC error. That run came around to score on a single, later in the inning.
 
Notre Dame scored twice in the second and that is all they would need. With one out, Wesney walked and moved to third when Legaspe singled to right center. Legaspe stole second base and then Miranda sent a hard hit ball through the left side of the infield to tie the game at one. Minney stepped up to the plate and laid down a bunt. Legaspe was on his way home before the ball came off of Minney's bat on the suicide squeeze, and scored to give NDC the lead.
 
After the first inning, Brown locked in on the mound. From the second inning until the end of the game, only four Cardinals reached second base. He picked up his second win of the season, and first complete game, allowing five hits and one, unearned run.

The defense made several outstanding plays, including a non-traditional double play to end the top of the sixth. Legaspe caught a fly ball in center field and a Wheeling runner tried to tag up and move to third. The Falcons' center fielder made a strong throw to third in time to get the runner.
 
Miranda went 2-for-2 at the plate in the second game.
 
NDC will be off for nearly a week before traveling to play Fairmont State, on April 13. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.