Softball | 3/15/2013 11:44:00 AM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2     CLERMONT, Fla. – The West Liberty University women's softball team split its final two games in the National Training Center Complex Spring Break Tournament, dropping a tough 4-3 decision to the University of Bridgeport (Conn.) before bouncing back with a 4-1 win against Bemidji State (Minn.).
    In the first game against Bridgeport, Coach Jim Bacca's Hilltoppers (5-10) carried a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth only to see the game slip away, not once but twice.
    Angela Johnson turned in her best outing of the spring in the circle, blanking the Connecticut squad on just three hits through the first five frames. With one out in the sixth, Bridgeport worked a pair of walks and McKenzie Shea drove a ball over the right field fence to give the Purple Knights a 3-1 lead.
    West Liberty answered in the top of the seventh. Johnson started the comeback with a leadoff single and Leanna McMillen's double put runners on second and third. An infield out plated one run and Felicia Hulslander singled home the tying run.
    Hulslander led the way with a single and double while Taylor Zeiger had an RBI single.
    Bridgeport scored the winning run on a passed ball with two out in the bottom of the seventh.
    The Hilltoppers wasted no time taking control of the second game, exploding for three runs in the bottom of the first against Bemidji State.
    That proved to be more than enough for WLU ace Sarah Emerich, who scattered six hits while striking out four and giving up only one walk to pick up the complete game win.
    Janea Cockrell was the hitting star for the Black and Gold in this one with three singles and two RBIs. Emerich helped her own cause with a pair of hits while Hulslander doubled home a run.
    The Hilltoppers were scheduled to open the Salem (Va.) Invitational on Friday night with a 7 p.m. game against Gannon (Pa.).
 
SOFTBALL
 (2 out when winning run scored)
Bridgeport 4, West Liberty 3
West Liberty             010 000 2 – 3  7  0
Bridgeport                 000 003 1 – 4  5  3
    WLU: Johnson (7SO, 4W), Creamer lp (0SO, 2W), Young (0SO, 0W) and Burke. Hulslander D, S, rbi; Hanby S, rbi; Zeiger S, rbi; McMillen D
    B: Irrera wp (6SO, 2W) and Pearce. Owens D, 2S; Shea HR, 3rbi
 
West Liberty 4, Bemidi State 1
Bemidji State            000 100 0 – 1  6  1
West Liberty             300 001 x – 4  8  0
    BSU: Saralampi lp (5SO, 1W) and Osterman. Osterman S, rbi
    WLU: Emerich wp (4SO, 1W) and Sumner. Cockrell 3S, 2rbi; Emerich 2S; Hulslander D, rbi