Baseball | 3/16/2014 10:40:00 PM
Box Score 1 WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team split a Mountain East Conference doubleheader with West Virginia State for the second straight day Sunday afternoon at frigid Kovalick Field.
Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (11-4, 9-3) came from behind to pull out an 8-7 win in the first game but the Yellowjackets (11-4, 8-4) salvaged the split with a 6-0 nod in the second game.
In the first game, West Liberty obliterated a 6-3 deficit with a 5-run uprising in the bottom of the fifth.
Taylor Snare's pinch-hit 2-run double highlighted the game-winning rally. Greg Stagani gave up a single tally in the top of the sixth but slammed the door the rest of the way to pick up the win in relief.
The West Liberty offense couldn't get anything going in the second game as a trio of West Virginia State hurlers blanked the Hilltoppers on four singles.
West Liberty is scheduled to step out of conference on Tuesday when the Hilltoppers host perennial Atlantic Region power Seton Hill in a 1 p.m. twinbill at Kovalick Field.
BASEBALL
West Liberty 8, W.Va. State 7
W.Va. State 040 201 0 - 7 9 2
West Liberty 021 050 x - 8 11 3
WVS: Bowles (2SO, 3W), Kincaid lp (5) (1SO, 0W), Toparis (6) (0SO, 0W) and Payne. Craft 2S, 3rbi; Kiser 2S, 2rbi, Payne 2S, rbi
WLU: Y.Hughes (0SO, 4W), Stagani wp (3SO, 0W) and Carranza. T.Hughes T, S, rbi; Mirandy D, S; Johnson 2S, rbi; Snare D, 2rbi; Busby S, rbi; Pierro S, rbi
W.Va. State 6, West Liberty 0
W.Va. State 012 201 0 - 6 12 0
West Liberty 000 000 0 - 0 4 0
WVS: Jobst wp (3SO, 2W), Ore (6) (2SO, 1W), Falbo (2SO, 0W) and Payne. Cloxton HR, D, S, 2rbi
WLU: Reef lp (0SO, 2W), Pare (5) (3SO, 1W) and Francis.
