HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker College softball team broke open a pair of close games with late-inning uprisings on Thursday to sweep a doubleheader from West Liberty University by scores of 9-1 and 7-1 at the Cobras' Saleeby-Stokes Field.

In the opener, Coach Jim Bacca's Hilltoppers (1-4) carried a 1-1 tie into the bottom of the fourth inning only to see Coker (10-4) take advantage of two West Liberty errors to push four unearned runs across the plate. The Cobras tacked on three more tallies in the fifth before adding another run in the sixth to end the game.

Julianne Wanda had a pair of singles for the Hilltoppers while Janea Cockrell's RBI single in the top of the fourth chased home the visitors' only run.

The second game featured a pitcher's duel between West Liberty's Creamer and the Cobras' Breanna Skipper.

Felicia Hulslander staked Creamer to an early lead with an RBI double in the top of the first. Three hits and a Hilltopper error in the bottom of the third gave Coker a 2-1 lead. That's where the score stayed until the bottom of the sixth when Skipper helped her own cause with a bases-loaded triple to highlight a decisive five-run inning.

Hulslander led West Liberty at the plate, slapping out a single to go along with her RBI two-bagger.

Friday will be a travel day for the Hilltoppers as they make the drive to Clermont, Fla. for the NTC Complex Tournament. West Liberty opens the five-day event on Saturday with back-to-back morning games against Cedarville (Ohio) and West Chester (Pa.).

SOFTBALL

Coker (S.C.) 9, West Liberty 1

West Liberty 000 100 – 1  6  4

Coker (S.C.) 100 431 – 9  9  2

WL: Emerich lp (4SO, 6W) and Sumner. Wanda 2S; Cockrell S, rbi

CC: Phillips wp (4SO, 0W) and Burr. Burr D, 2S, 3rbi; Gallman 2S, rbi; Skipper D, 2rbi

Coker (S.C.) 7, West Liberty 1

West Liberty 100 000 0 – 1   7  2

Coker (S.C.) 002 005 x – 7 10  1

WL: Creamer lp (5SO, 1W) and Burke. Hulslander D, S, rbi

CC: Skipper wp (3SO, 2W) and Burr. Weatherford 2S, 2rbi; Suttle 2S; Skipper T, 3rbi