Charleston, W.Va. – The Charleston Golden Eagles swept the series over the Bald Eagles of Lock Haven with four wins.
 
GAME 1
 
The Basics:
Location: Welch Athletic Complex
Score: UC 6, LH 3
Records: UC 5-3 (0-0 MEC), Lock Haven 3-4
 
How it Happened:
In game one of the four game series the Golden Eagles found themselves trailing after a Lock Haven sac fly in the top of the first to go ahead 1-0. Despite the early deficit, the Golden Eagles were not deterred, and Casey Finck got things started for Charleston when he legged out a two out infield single. Finck then put himself in scoring position when he stole second. With a runner in scoring position, Hector Carreon- Herrera singled up the middle, scoring Finck, and tying the game.
 
With Austin Dzierwa settling in on the mound, the next two and a half innings were scoreless, Charleston heading up to the plate in the bottom of the fourth with the game still 1-1.
 
Carter Rust got things started with a single to right field followed up by a AJ Karosas walk. With a double steal in play, the Lock Haven catcher threw the ball into outfield allowing Rust to score and Karosas to advance to third. With one run already in, Ty Foree doubled to left center scoring Karosas. After Foree stole third, Evan Ulrich hit into a productive out, flying out to left field and scoring Foree. With just one out, McCallister was walked and on the next pitch stole second, putting himself in scoring position for the top of the order. Leadoff batter Drew Klaserner doubled to left center scoring McCallister. Pitches later, Lock Haven failed a pickoff attempt allowing Klaserner to advance to third, allowing Eric Chartier to hit a sacrifice fly to right field and pick up an RBI. Charleston plated five runs in the inning taking the 6-1 lead over the Bald Eagles.
 
The fifth inning was quiet, but the Bald Eagles plated two in the top of the sixth, cutting their deficit to 6-3.
 
After a scoreless sixth inning for Charleston, the Golden Eagles put the ball in Dwayne Sumler's hand to try and close out the seventh and pick up the save. Sumler made things interesting when he walked the first batter and hit the second, but a 6-4-3 double play by his Golden Eagle defense put Charleston one out away from a victory. The next batter up grounded out to the short stop, and just like that Charleston had a game one victory over the Bald Eagles of Lock Haven.
 
GAME 2
 
The Basics:
Location: Welch Athletic Complex
Score: UC 8, LH 2
Records: UC 6-3 (0-0 MEC), Lock Haven 3-5
 
How it Happened:
Much like game one, Charleston found themselves trailing heading to the bottom of the first after giving up two runs to the Bald Eagles in the top half of the inning. In the bottom half of the inning, the Golden Eagles evened the score thanks to a Carter Rust triple to right field to score Karosas and Chartier.
 
The Golden Eagles tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the third to take the 6-2 lead over the Bald Eagles. Casey Finck started the scoring off with a double to right center that scored Klaserner who walked to start off the inning. AJ Karosas then reached on an error by the third baseman to load the bases for Carter Rust. Rust flew out to center field scoring Chartier from third and advancing Finck and Karosas up a bag. Hector Carreon-Herrera laid down a beautiful squeeze bunt to score Finck and give Charleston the 5-2 lead. The final run of the inning was scored when Lock Haven third baseman made his third error of the inning, allowing Karosas to score from third.
 
The fourth and fifth innings were scoreless, Charleston maintaining their lead 6-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
 
The final two runs of the game came off a two out double from AJ Karosas that scored Drew Klaserner and Eric Chartier who both reached base by way of walk.
 
With a six-run lead, Charleston sent Aussie native Cody Godbold to the mound to close the game. Godbold faced four batters in the top of the seventh to finish the game for Charleston, the Golden Eagles taking the victory 8-2 over Lock Haven.
 
GAME 3
 
The Basics:
Location: Welch Athletic Complex
Score: UC 3, LH 0
Records: UC 7-3 (0-0 MEC), Lock Haven 3-6
 
How it Happened:
Game three of the series was all Charleston as the Golden Eagles plated the only three runs of the contest. The Golden Eagles opened the scoring in the bottom of the second when catcher Evan Ulrich hit an RBI groundout to the pitcher to score Ty Foree who reached on error. The next run for Charleston came off a Drew Klaserner single that scored hit by pitch victim Gabe Bates.
 
The final run of the game came in the bottom of the fourth inning on a solo shot by Evan Ulrich to left field. The homerun was Ulrich's first of the season.
 
Charleston's starting pitcher Owen MacNeil would pick up the win to improve to 1-0 on the season while Cody Godbold would get his first save of 2024.
 
GAME 4
 
The Basics:
Location: Welch Athletic Complex
Score: UC 12, LH 1
Records: UC 8-3 (0-0 MEC), Lock Haven 3-7
 
How it Happened:
In game four of the series, six Golden Eagles got their first start of the season, and they did not disappoint. Charleston plated 12 runs on the contest off just four hits. The Golden Eagles were walked eight times, hit three, and swiped nine bags in the seven-inning game.
 
Trace Hartman went 1-2 on the afternoon with a three-run blast in his first start as a Golden Eagle.
 
Andrew Gormley picked up the win after going four complete innings just allowing one hit with six strikeouts.
 
Up Next:
Charleston will host a three-game series with the Mountain Cats of Pitt-Johnstown. The first game of the series is slated for a 7:00PM start on Friday, March 8^th.