BECKLEY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team saw its season come to an end here this morning with an 8-1 loss to No. 9-ranked Seton Hill in the second round of the West Virginia Conference tournament at Epling Stadium.

Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (21-26) couldn't get anything going against two-time WVIAC Pitcher of the Year Alex Haines, who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and finished with 13 strikeouts in a solid seven innings of work.

The nationally-ranked Griffins (38-14), who had been upset by Charleston in their tournament opener on Wednesday, backed Haines with single tallies in the third, fourth and fifth innings before breaking the game open with a four-run uprising in the top of the sixth.

West Liberty broke up Haines' shutout bid in the seventh. Matt Bradford drew a one-out walk, moved to third on a single by Jon-Michael Brunner and came trotting home on a two-out single off the bat of Anthony Pierro.

Tim Mirandy had the Hilltoppers' only extra-base hit of the day, a two-out double in the bottom of the sixth.

BASEBALL

WVIAC Tournament

(at Beckley, W.Va.)

Elimination Round

No. 9 Seton Hill 8, West Liberty 1

Seton Hill 001 114 100 – 8  13  0

West Liberty 000 000 100 – 1    4  1

SHU: Haines wp (13SO, 2W), Bashioum (8) (2SO, 0W) and Cima. McCarthy HR, S, 3rbi; Cima HR, S, 2rbi; Costantino 2S, 2rbi

WLU: Smyth lp (4SO, 2W), Peterson (6) (0SO, 0W), Daugherty (8) (0SO, 0W), Graham (9) (0SO, 1W) and Nagel, Entenmann (8). Pierro S, rbi; Mirandy D.