URBANA, Ohio – The West Liberty University softball team snapped Urbana's 16-game winning streak in convincing fashion Friday with a 9-1 rout in the second game of a doubleheader at the Blue Knights' diamond. Urbana had escaped with a 2-1 win in the first game of the twinbill.

The Blue Knights (10-1) hadn't tasted defeat since late last season and had outscored their opponents by a whopping 71-5 margin this year before Coach Jim Bacca's Hilltoppers (7-15) rolled into town.

Urbana's lengthy win streak – the longest active streak in the nation – nearly came to a halt in the opener but Morgan Haer's RBI double snapped a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the seventh to pull out the win.

Julianne Wanda's solo home run in the top of the fifth accounted for West Liberty's only run as the Hilltoppers were held to just two hits by Blue Knight ace Haley Jo Kolmerten.

There would be no miracle finish for Urbana in the second game as the West Liberty bats rumbled to life with a 12-hit barrage.

The Hilltoppers scored at least two runs in each of the last four innings as Urbana allowed three more runs in those four frames than the Blue Knights had surrendered in their first 10 games. Urbana pitchers Lauren Anderson and Katelyn Edwards hadn't given up a single run all season before Friday.

Seven different players had at least one extra-base hit for West Liberty while Sara Emerich went the distance in the circle for the win, striking out three while scattering six hits and not issuing a walk.

Maggie Starr, Stacey Sumner, Taylor Zeiger and Jamie Burke each picked up an RBI with a double and a single. Jenn Young had a two-run double, Felicia Hulslander doubled home a run, Leanna McMillen had an RBI single and Wanda added a double to go along with her home run in the first game.

The Hilltoppers will be idle this weekend but return home to host perennial Atlantic Region power California (Pa.) on Tuesday in a 3 p.m. doubleheader.

SOFTBALL

Urbana (Ohio) 2, West Liberty 1

(None out when winning run scored)

West Liberty 000 010 0 – 1  2  3

Urbana (Ohio) 010 000 1 – 2  9  0

WLU: Creamer lp (1SO, 2W) and Sumner. Wanda HR, rbi

UU: Kolmerten wp (10SO, 0W) and Haer. Haer D, S, rbi; Hakola 2S; Beeman 2S; Shultz T, rbi

West Liberty 9, Urbana (Ohio) 1

West Liberty 000 222 3 – 9  12  0

Urbana (Ohio) 000 100 0 – 1    6  3

WLU: Emerich wp (3SO, 0W) and Burke. Starr D, S, rbi; Sumner D, S, rbi; Zeiger D, S, rbi; Burke D, S, rbi; Young D, 2rbi; Hulslander D, rbi; McMillen S, rbi; Wanda D

UU: Anderson lp (0SO, 0W), Moore (2SO, 1W) and Cronkleton. Barney 2S; Hakola D