WASHINGTON, Pa. – The West Liberty University baseball team opened its season on Monday by rallying to a 7-6 win against California (Pa.) in a scheduled 9-inning game at CONSOL Energy Park.

Coach Bo McConnaughy's Hilltoppers found a little 2-out lightning on a brisk but sunny afternoon, exploding for four 2-out tallies in the top of the 8th to erase a 6-3 lead by the host Vulcans (6-3).

After West Liberty loaded the bases with two out in the decisive frame, the Hilltoppers' first run crossed the plate on a passed ball with freshman Hayden Mobley at the plate. 

The passed ball put two more runners in scoring position and Mobley fouled off a pair of two-strike pitches before tying the game with a clutch two-run single to right-center. Mobley went around to third on a Scott Castilow single and trotted home with what proved to be the game-winning run when Mike Johnson followed with an RBI base knock.

Eight different pitchers worked the early-season game for West Liberty with no one going more than 1.2 innings. Kelly Emmerling got the win in relief with Mike Roach coming on with one out in the bottom of the 8th to pick up the save.

The Hilltoppers are scheduled to open their West Virginia Conference schedule on Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Alderson-Broaddus.

BASEBALL

West Liberty 7, California (Pa.) 6

West Liberty 000 021 040 – 7    9  2

California (Pa.) 121 001 100 – 6  11  3

WL: Peterson (0SO, 0W), Knisley (2) (0SO, 1W), Polanski (3) (0SO, 0W), Taylor (4) (1SO, 0W), Daugherty (5) (2SO, 1W), Phares (6) (1SO, 0W), Emmerling wp (7) (0SO, 3W), Roach (8) (0SO, 1W) and Mobley. Mobley 2S, 2rbi; Johnson S, 2rbi

Cal: Kirker (6SO, 0W), Kucenic (6) (2SO, 1W), Gannon lp (8) (0SO, 0W), Burton (8) (1SO, 1W), Taylor (9) (1SO, 0W) and Fielding, Kaufman (7). Bowser 3S; Carson D, S, rbi