The Wheeling Park Patriots will take on the Morgantown Mohigans at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The timing isn't great for Wheeling Park: they have been struggling with four straight losses at home, while Morgantown has snatched up six consecutive wins on the road.
Wheeling Park will bounce into Thursday's game after beating John Marshall, who they had gone 0-9 against in their nine prior meetings. The Patriots blew past the Monarchs 9-2 on Wednesday. The Patriots might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six contests by six runs or more this season.
Delaney Randolph made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off nine hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. That's the most doubles she has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Bryn Ernest, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4. What's more, she posted two doubles, the most she's had since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Grace Tamburin, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Morgantown faced Weir in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Monday. The Mohigans walked away with a 4-1 victory over the Red Riders.
Like Wheeling Park, Morgantown also got a great game from a two-way player: MADISON WISMAN. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits (and only one walk). WISMAN was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, KIRA SMITH was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one home run. That home run marked the first that she launched this season. LIZ ALSOP was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
Morgantown has been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.7 runs over those games. As for Wheeling Park, their victory bumped their record up to 8-9.
Wheeling Park might still be hurting after the 18-2 loss they got from Morgantown when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will the Patriots have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
