Softball | 2/15/2013 11:19:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 RALEIGH, N.C. – The West Liberty University softball team opened its season on Friday with a pair of tough losses in the Shaw (N.C.) University Softball Challenge.
    The debuting Hilltoppers dropped a 6-4 decision to Mansfield (Pa.) in their first game before falling by a 10-2 count to California (Pa.) in the late game.
    In the first contest, Mansfield scored 3 runs in the third and added 3 more in the bottom of the fourth before the Hilltoppers hit the comeback trail.
    West Liberty notched single tallies in the fifth and sixth before an RBI single by Maggie Starr highlighted a 2-run rally in the seventh. The Hilltoppers were able to bring the tying run to the plate but the Pennsylvania squad got out of the jam with a strikeout.
    Starr and Felicia Hulslander each had RBI singles for WLU while Leanna McMillen doubled. Janea Cockrell and Kalyn Hanby also had base hits.
    In the second game, the unbeaten Vulcans (7-0) exploded for seven runs over the final two innings to break open a tight struggle.
    Hulslander had another RBI single for West Liberty while Starr and Cockrell collected the only other base knocks.
 
SOFTBALL
Shaw Softball Challenge
Mansfield 6, West Liberty 4
West Liberty             000 011 2 – 4  5  1
Mansfield                 003 300 x – 6  9  0
    WLU: Emerich lp (2SO, 1W), Johnson (5) (2SO, 3W) and Sumner. McMillen D; Hulslander S, rbi; Starr S, rbi; Cockrell S; Hanby S.
    MU: Klobosits wp (13SO, 3W), Crandell (7) (1SO, 0W) and Dixon. Pratt D, S, rbi; Harris D, S; Inman S, 4rbi
 
California (Pa.) 10, West Liberty 2
West Liberty              001 100 –   2  3  4
California (Pa.)           101 152 – 10  9  1
    WLU: Creamer lp (1SO, 6W), Johnson (5) (0SO, 1W), Emerich (5) (1SO, 1W) and Burke. Hulslander S, rbi; Starr S; Cockrell S
    Cal: Ellis (2SO, 2W), Spancake wp (4) (2SO, 0W) and Wideman. Reicoff 3S; Morris 2D, 2rbi; Sagl 2S; Vallecorsa D, 3rbi