Baseball | 3/14/2011 11:15:52 AM

BOX SCORES

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team opened the West Virginia Conference portion of its schedule Sunday afternoon by splitting a doubleheader with the University of Charleston.

The Hilltoppers rolled to an 8-2 victory in the first game but the Golden Eagles salvaged the split with a 6-2 win in the second game.

Jeff Welsh hurled a four-hit complete game to lead West Liberty (3-9, 1-1) in the opener.

Derek Daugherty had a pair of singles while Eric Mangino singled and drove in a pair of runs for the Hilltoppers. Trent Chapman added an RBI double while Rudy Nagy and Mike Johnson chipped in with RBI base knocks.

Charleston (4-8, 1-1) took advantage of five West Liberty errors to score all six of its runs in the first two innings of Sunday's second game and the Hilltoppers were unable to recover. Carson Koontz and Zane Madden had West Liberty's only two hits.

The Hilltoppers and Golden Eagles close out the series on Monday with a single 9-inning game. First pitch is set for noon at Charleston's Triana Field.

BASEBALL

West Liberty 8, Charleston 2

West Liberty                       040 112 0 -  8  7  1

Charleston                          000 020 0 -  2  4  6

    WL: Welsh wp (5SO, 2W) and D.Daugherty. D.Daugherty 2S; Mangino S, 2rbi; Chapman D, rbi; Nagy S, rbi; Johnson S, rbi

    UC: Pagano lp (6SO, 4W), Thompson (5) (3SO, 1W) and Iacovone. Barnes D, rbi; Molina D, rbi

Charleston 6, West Liberty 2

West Liberty                       020 000 0 -  2  2  7

Charleston                          330 000 x -  6  6  4

    WL: Graham lp (0SO, 4W), Peterson (5) (0SO, 1W) and D.Daugherty. Koontz S; Madden S

    UC: Ponn wp (3So, 0W) and Ponn. Easterling 2S