Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (10-3, 8-2) posted a 2-0 shutout win against the Yellowjackets (10-3, 7-3) in the opener but State bounced back with a 5-0 win in the nightcap.
Mark Smyth was dominant for West Liberty in the first game as the sophomore ace scattered three hits in a route-going performance that saw him post three strikeouts without walking a batter. The Hilltoppers backed Smyth with RBI singles off the bats of Tim Hughes and Dylan Pounds.
Yellowjacket freshman Tyler Hall was a riddle the Hilltoppers couldn't solve in the second game as he gave up just two hits and didn't walk a batter. Hall faced only one batter over the minimum and didn't allow a West Liberty runner past first base.
Jack Hudson's 2-run homer in the top of the fourth was all the offense Hall needed. Jon-Michael Brunner and Clay Francis had the only two hits for the hosts.
The teams return to Kovalick Field on Sunday for another doubleheader, beginning at 1 p.m.
BASEBALL
West Liberty 2, W.Va. State 0
W.Va. State 000 000 0 - 0 3 2
West Liberty 100 001 x - 2 3 2
WVS: Thompson lp (8SO, 1W) and Payne. Smith D
WLU: Smyth wp (3SO, 0W) and Carranza. T.Hughes S, rbi; Pounds S, rbi
W.Va. State 5, West Liberty 0
W.Va. State 000 203 0 - 5 10 1
West Liberty 000 000 0 - 0 2 1
WVS: Hall wp (2SO, 0W) and Payne. Hudson HR, 2S, 2rbi; Smith D, S, 2rbi
WLU: Grosul lp (3SO, 1W), T.Hughes (0SO, 0W), Bond (0SO, 0W), Polanski (0SO, 0W) and Francis. Brunner S; Francis S
