Softball | 3/21/2013 8:44:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The West Liberty University women's softball team was victimized by the late-inning long ball in back-to-back games here Thursday afternoon as Bellarmine (Ky.) sent the Black and Gold home empty-handed on the short end of 5-4 and 3-2 scores.
    In the opener, Coach Jim Bacca's Hilltoppers (6-14) carried a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth only to see pitcher Ally Foster help herself at the plate with a 3-run home run to steal a win for the Knights (13-9).
    West Liberty managed just one hit off Foster – an RBI double by Stacy Sumner in the top of the fourth – but had taken advantage of some shaky BU fielding to plate three unearned runs without benefit of a hit in the top of the second.
    Bellarmine's power was the difference in the second game, as well, as three solo homers accounted for every one of the Knights' runs in another comeback decision.
    Sumner staked the Hilltoppers to a 2-1 lead with a two-out, two-run single in the top of the third but Bellarmine tied it in the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer by Scarlett Powers. Megan Murdoch won it for the hosts with a solo blast in the bottom of the sixth.
    Maggie Starr and Kalyn Hanby each smacked out a pair of singles to back Sumner at the plate for WLU. West Liberty heads to western Ohio on Friday for a 3 p.m. twinbill at future MEC member Urbana University.
 
SOFTBALL
Bellarmine (Ky.) 5, West Liberty 4
West Liberty             030 010 0 – 4  1  0
Bellarmine (Ky.)       011 003 x – 5  6  4
    WL: Emerich lp (5SO, 5W) and Sumner. Sumner D, rbi
    Bell: Foster wp (8SO, 3W) and Powers. Foster HR, 4rbi; Shewmaker HR, rbi; Ratliff 2S
 
Bellarmine (Ky.) 3, West Liberty 2
West Liberty             002 000 0 – 2  6  1
Bellarmine (Ky.)       010 011 x – 3  4  2
    WL: Creamer lp (4SO, 1W) and Burke. Sumner 2S, 2rbi; Starr 2S; Hanby 2S
    Bell: Miller wp (3SO, 2W) and Powers. Murdoch HR, S, rbi; Ratliff HR, rbi; Powers HR, rbi