WHEELING, W.Va. – Fairmont State swept the first two games of its Mountain East Conference series with Wheeling Jesuit on Friday afternoon, blanking the Cardinals 5-0 in game one after a strong pitching performance by Michael Stout, before holding on for a 6-4 win in game two.
 
Fairmont State is now closing in on a .500 record on the year, improving to 13-14 overall and 7-7 in MEC play. WJU falls to 4-18 overall (3-11 MEC).
 
Game 1
 
Stout (6-1) picked up his sixth-consecutive victory in the game one victory over Wheeling Jesuit, as the Falcons blanked the Cardinals by a 5-0 final score. Stout threw a two-hit shutout, striking out eight batters and walking just three. Stout has now recorded eight or more strikeouts in each of his last four appearances for the Falcons.
 
Offensively, the Falcons got on the board early in the game, as Austin Norman homered to center field in the top of the first inning to put the Falcons up 2-0 over the Cardinals. Ben Myers was on base following a leadoff double and was driven in by Norman's home run.
 
Norman added Fairmont's third run of the game in the top of the fifth, a sacrifice fly to right field that plated Jacob Goodnight for an unearned run. Myers and Greg Yaksich each drove in a run in the top of the seventh to push the final score to 5-0. Myers started the damage in the seventh by hitting an RBI single to bring home Nick Mann. Yaksich capped the scoring by doubling to right field during the next at-bat to bring home Myers for the fifth run of the game.
 
Myers led the Falcons in game one, going 3-of-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
 
Game 2
 
Fairmont State completed the doubleheader sweep by picking up a 6-4 victory in game two.
 
The Falcons started right where they left off in game one by scoring three runs in the top of the first inning in game two. Yaksich got FSU started by hitting a home run to center field to bring home Myers for an early 2-0 Fairmont State lead. Yaksich's home run was his second of the year.
 
Later in the first, Kevin Ayala hit an RBI single to put the Falcons in front by a 3-0 advantage.
 
After WJU cut into the FSU lead with two runs in the bottom of the first, Norman drove in his fourth run of the doubleheader by hitting an RBI double to right field, scoring Goodnight to push the Fairmont State lead to 4-2. Tyler Skidmore put Fairmont State in front by a 5-2 advantage after hitting a sacrifice fly during the next at-bat of the inning.
 
Wheeling Jesuit cut the Fairmont State lead back to a single run in the bottom of the second and from that point the game became a pitching dual until the top of the sixth inning. In the sixth, Darrin Zombro hit an RBI single into left center to bring home Yaksich from third, making the final score 6-4 Falcons.
 
After Jordan Sanders gave up four runs in the bottom of the first, Sam Aloi (1-0) entered the game to pitch for the Falcons, holding WJU scoreless in four and a one-thirds innings pitched. The junior gave up just six hits and struck out three.
 
Houston Morris (S,2) was credited with the save after getting the final five outs of the game for Fairmont State.
 
Five different players hit an extra-base hit for the Falcons in game two, including Yaksich, Myers, Norman, Skidmore and Zombro.
 
Up next: Fairmont State and Wheeling Jesuit will close out the MEC North series on Sunday afternoon with games three and four of the series. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.