Softball | 4/7/2011 6:41:19 PM
GM 1 - BOX SCORE GM 2 - BOX SCORE /
GAME PHOTOS
WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – A seventh-inning rally fell just short Thursday afternoon as the West Liberty University softball team dropped a West Virginia Conference doubleheader to West Virginia State.
The Hilltoppers (8-25, 3-7) came out on the short end of 5-4 and 7-1 scores against the Yellowjackets (20-8, 5-1), who took over sole possession of second place in the WVIAC standings with their 10th win in the last 13 games.
West Liberty used a couple of late long balls to throw a scare into the visitors during the opener.
State took a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh only to see the Hilltoppers close the gap to 5-4 on a two-run home run by Courtney Loe and a solo blast by Angela Johnson.
That set up a two-out showdown between West Liberty's Kelsey Martin – the reigning WVIAC Player of the Week – and Yellowjacket ace Kelsey Lorraine – the reigning WVIAC Pitcher of the Week. Martin gave the home fans a thrill when she launched a rocket to the outfield but State's left fielder was able to run it down at the base of the wall.
Loe finished with three RBIs on a single and the home run while Felicia Hulslander, Sara Ashmead and Julianne Wanda all had two hits each for the hosts.
The visitors scored three first-inning runs in the second game and never looked back in finishing off the sweep.
Loe singled home West Liberty's only run in the bottom of the third while Martin had a triple and single.
The Hilltoppers return to action on Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Seton Hill.
SOFTBALL
W.Va. State 5, West Liberty 4
W.Va. State 000 014 0 - 5 11 1
West Liberty 001 000 3 - 4 10 1
WVS: Lorraine wp (5SO, 1W) and Ramey. Runyon HR, 2S, 3rbi
WL: Fortuna (3SO, 2W), Stanley lp (5) (0SO, 0W), Miller (6) (0SO, 0W) and Loe. Loe HR, S, 3rbi; Johnson HR, rbi; Hulslander 2S; Ashmead 2S; Wanda 2S
W.Va. State 7, West Liberty 1
W.Va. State 300 121 0 - 7 15 3
West Liberty 001 000 0 - 1 5 4
WVS: Pelegreen wp (3SO, 0W) and Ramey. Best T, 2S, 2rbi
WL: Emerich lp (4SO, 2W) and Sumner. Martin T, S; Loe S, rbi
