BLUEFIELD, Va. – The West Liberty University softball team finished with a flourish here Saturday as Sara Emerich hurled a no-hitter to help the Hilltoppers finish off a sweep of Bluefield State in a season-ending doubleheader.

West Liberty (17-31, 10-16) pounded out a 9-4 win in the opener before riding Emerich's strong right arm to a 5-0 shutout of the Lady Blues (2-40, 0-25) in the finale.

Emerich, a senior from DeGraff, Ohio, struck out six and didn't walk a batter in a dominating performance. She carried a perfect game into the seventh inning before committing a one-out error to give Bluefield State its only runner of the game. 

The Hilltopper ace still wound up facing the minimum as the runner was thrown out trying to steal and Emerich finished off the gem with her sixth strikeout of the game.

Maggie Starr and Taylor Zeiger each had two singles for West Liberty. Felicia Hulslander and Leanna McMillen each singled and drove home a pair of runs.

The Hilltoppers pounded out 17 hits in romping to victory in the first game. Hulslander had a huge game with a home run, three singles and four RBIs. Stacy Sumner had a double and two singles to chase home a run while Jenn Young smacked out three singles and collected three RBIs. Starr and Zeiger each chipped in with a pair of singles and Jamie Burke added a double.

SOFTBALL

West Liberty 9, Bluefield State 4

West Liberty 202 010 4 – 9  17  1

Bluefield State 002 002 0 – 4    6  2

WLU: Creamer wp (6SO, 2W) and Sumner. Hulslander HR, 3S, 4rbi; Sumner D, 2S, rbi; Young 3S, 3rbi; Starr 2S; Zeiger 2S; Burke D

BSC: Hutchinson lp (0SO, 0W), Cokely (0SO, 0W) and Cook. Hutchinson D, 2S; Whited HR, 2rbi

West Liberty 5, Bluefield State 0

West Liberty 100 022 0 – 5  10  1

Bluefield State 000 000 0 – 0    0  5

WLU: Emerich wp (6SO, 0W) and Burke. Starr 2S; Zeiger 2S; Hulslander S, 2rbi; McMillen S, 2rbi

BSC: Myles lp (1SO, 1W), Cokely (0SO, 0W) and Cook.