WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team came out on the short end of a slugfest with Shepherd on Friday, dropping both ends of a Kovalick Field doubleheader by scores of 17-7 and 8-3.

The Rams (21-11, 13-4) scored 10 runs in their final two at-bats in pulling away to victory in the opener and made an early 5-0 lead stand up in the second game.

In the first game, the Hilltoppers (6-18, 4-11) grabbed a quick 2-1 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and were tied at 4-4 heading into the fourth inning but couldn't keep up the offensive pace maintained by the visitors, who were on their way to pounding out a total of 30 hits on the day.

Taylor Snare drove in two runs with a homer and a pair of singles to lead the hosts' 15-hit attack while Josh Nagel had two RBIs on three singles and Andrew Henry also had three base knocks. Mike Johnson had two hits and two RBIs, Zane Madden tripled and doubled and Jon Entenmann had two singles.

Johnson had three hits in the second game with Trevor Denman adding an RBI double. Jon-Michael Brunner also doubled in a losing cause.

Reigning Atlantic Region Player of the Week Nate Minnich led the Rams with two home runs, a double, four singles and six RBIs in the twinbill.

The teams return to Kovalick Field Saturday at 1 p.m. for a scheduled 9-inning game.

BASEBALL

Shepherd 17, West Liberty 7

Shepherd 130 216 4 – 17  17  2

West Liberty 202 000 3 –   7  15  4

S: Coffey wp (0SO, 2W), Byrd (6) (1SO, 0W), Copley (7) (1SO, 0W) and Messina. Murphy 4S, 2rbi; Minnich HR, D, S, 2rbi; Hutter HR, S, 3rbi; Coffey T, S, 3rbi

WL: Taylor lp (2SO, 3W), Daugherty (7) (0SO, 0W) and Entenmann. Snare HR, 2S, 2rbi; Nagel 3S, 2rbi; Henry 3S; Johnson 2S, 2rbi; Madden T, D; Entenmann 2S

Shepherd 8, West Liberty 3

Shepherd 410 003 0 – 8  13  3

West Liberty 002 010 0 – 3    7  1

S: Appleby wp (4SO, 1W) and Messina. Minnich HR, 3S, 4rbi; Lott 3S; Coffey D, S, rbi; Murphy 2S, rbi

WL: Peterson lp (6SO, 1W) and Entenmann. Johnson 3S; Denman D, rbi; Brunner D