Carolina University Baseball hosted Wheeling University for a doubleheader at Rich Park in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Saturday. The Bruins lost both games to the Division II opponent as they continue to build team chemistry early in the season.
In the first game, Carolina took an early lead when Chandler Smithart scored on a wild pitch. Wheeling responded with three home runs and broke the game open by scoring four runs each in the fifth and sixth innings. Key performances for Carolina included Smithart going 2-for-3 with a run and a double, Randy DeMaio also going 2-for-3 with an RBI double, Danny Gonzalez hitting a solo home run, and Nathan Wesley contributing an RBI single. Jasean Brown pitched five innings and was charged with the loss, while Landon Johnson threw 1.2 scoreless innings in relief.
The second game saw both teams score early. After Wheeling took a two-run lead in the first inning, Alexis Fontanez doubled home Smithart to put Carolina on the board. Nathan Wesley’s two-run homer gave Carolina a brief lead in the second inning, and Gonzalez added another solo home run in the third. Despite building a 5-3 advantage, Carolina could not hold off Wheeling’s offense, which produced nine runs in the seventh inning to secure victory.
Smithart again led offensively with two doubles and an RBI; Gonzalez hit another home run; Wesley contributed his own homer and two RBIs; Fontanez went 2-for-3 with an RBI; Brody Parris scored twice. In total, Carolina collected seven hits with several extra-base hits during Game 2.
Associate Head Coach Logan Conklin addressed his team’s progress: “We’re still in the early part of the season and we’re continuing to put the pieces together,” said Conklin. “There are stretches where you see what this group is capable of, especially offensively. Now it’s about consistency, tightening things up on the mound and defensively, and continuing to come together as a team. We’ll keep competing and getting better every day.”
The Bruins will finish their weekend series against Wheeling University on Sunday at Rich Park.
Carolina University Bruins Baseball Team competes throughout its season in both conference and non-conference matchups as outlined on their official website. The program is part of NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports guidelines here and belongs to the Ohio Athletic Conference here. The team supports student-athletes’ academic pursuits alongside athletics here, contributes to its university’s athletic heritage here, and is based out of Bexley, Ohio here.
