SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Saturday proved to be a tough day at the plate and in the circle for the West Liberty University softball team, which dropped a West Virginia Conference doubleheader at Shepherd by scores of 16-0 and 8-2.

The Rams (19-14, 6-2) pounded out a total of 21 hits in the two games and their hurlers combined for 20 strikeouts while holding the Black-and-Gold to a total of just five hits in the two games.

Shepherd needed just five innings to close up shop in the opener, using an 8-run fourth-inning uprising to seal the deal. Janea Cockrell and Angela Johnson had the only two hits for the Hilltoppers (7-23, 2-4).

Stacey Sumner foiled the Rams' shutout bid in the finale with a two-out, two-run triple in the top of the fifth but it was too little, too late for the visitors from the Northern Panhandle. Julianne Wanda and Maggie Starr, who had singled earlier in the inning, came around to score on Sumner's shot to right-center.

West Liberty will try to bounce back into the win column on Sunday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Seton Hill.

SOFTBALL

Shepherd 16, West Liberty 0

West Liberty 000 00 –   0    2  2

Shepherd 035 8x – 16  10  0

WL: Johnson lp (0SO, 4W), Emerich (0SO, 2W), Slenski (0SO, 2W) and Burke. Cockrell S; Johnson S

S: Bettura wp (10SO, 0W) and Orlandi. Biondillo HR, D, 5rbi; Orlandi D, S, 4rbi; Bell T, 3rbi

Shepherd 8, West Liberty 2

West Liberty 000 020 0 – 2    3  2

Shepherd 031 220 x – 8  11  1

WL: Fortuna lp (2SO, 3W) and Sumner. Sumner T, 2rbi

S: Biggs wp (10SO, 3W) and Orlandi. Orlandi D, S, 2rbi; Snyder D, S, rbi; Biondillo 2S, 2rbi; Bell D, rbi