WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – A couple of big innings was all Fairmont State needed to sweep a doubleheader from West Liberty by scores of 6-4 and 16-3 Saturday afternoon at the WLU Softball Complex.

In the first game, the Falcons (22-15, 11-3) took advantage of some shaky West Liberty (8-33, 3-11) fielding by scoring all six of their runs with two out in the top of the second and the Hilltoppers were unable to climb out of the hole. Five of those FSU runs went into the book as unearned as the hosts kept the inning alive by committing two of their five errors.

Felicia Hulslander led West Liberty with a double and two singles while Leanna McMillen chased home a pair of runs with a double and single. Jennifer Young also had a double and a single.

In the second game, Fairmont had scored in every inning but the Hilltoppers were still in the hunt after scoring a single run in the bottom of the fourth to trim the deficit to 6-3.

The Falcons put the game out of reach in a nightmarish top of the fifth as they pounded out 10 hits off three WLU hurlers and pushed 10 runs across the plate to pad the final margin.

Young had two of West Liberty's four hits and drove in a run while Maggie Starr added a triple in a losing cause.

The Hilltoppers will try to get back on track Wednesday with a 3 p.m. twinbill against Ohio Valley University in Vienna.

SOFTBALL

Fairmont State 6, West Liberty 4

Fairmont State 060 000 0 – 6  6  2

West Liberty 020 002 0 – 4  9  5

FS: Cobb wp (6SO, 0W) and Herzberger. Wolfe S, 2rbi; Wilson S, 2rbi

WL: Johnson lp (1SO, 1W), Fortuna (2) (5SO, 1W) and Burke. Hulslander D, 2S; McMillen D, S, 2rbi; Young D, S; Miller D

Fairmont State 16, West Liberty 3

Fairmont State 112 2(10) – 16  18  3

West Liberty 020 1    0 –    3    4  4

FS: Nuzum wp (9SO, 3W) and Williams. Harris HR, 2S, 4rbi; Frampton D, 2S, 2rbi; Mundie 3S, 2rbi

WL: Emerich lp (1SO, 1W), Johnson (3) (0SO, 0W), Fortuna (5) (0SO, 0W), Slenski (5) (1SO, 0W) and Sumner. Young 2S, rbi; Starr T.