Baseball | 3/29/2015 1:20:00 AM
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team swept a Mountain East Conference doubleheader against Fairmont State Saturday by scores of 4-3 and 9-0 at the Bridgeport Recreation Complex.
In the opener, West Liberty (15-7, 11-5) scored 3 unearned runs with 2 out in the top of the seventh to overcome a 3-1 deficit and pull out the victory against the upset-minded Falcons (3-15, 3-13).
After the first two batters went down in order, back-to-back errors put runners on second and third. D.J. Busby roped a 2-run, game-tying single up the middle, stole second and sprinted home with what proved to be the game-winning run when Anthony Pierro followed with a single to center. Pierro had stroked out an RBI double in the third inning while Tim Mirandy also had a single and a double to pace the WLU offense. Mark Smyth went the distance on the mound for the win, improving to 4-0 on the year. Smyth struck out 7 and walked 3 while scattering 6 singles and giving up 3 runs, only one of which was earned. Greg Stagani fired a 4-hit shutout while the Hilltoppers pounded out 15 hits and scored in every inning but the third in a dominating Game 2 performance. Stagani struck out 5 and didn't walk a batter with 17 of his 21 outs coming via groundout or strikeout. Busby had 3 singles and drove in a run while Pierro and Jon-Michael Brunner each weighed in with a double, single and RBI. Jared Carranza chased home 2 runs with a pair of singles and Yale Hughes also had a pair of base knocks. The teams are scheduled to return to Bridgeport on Sunday for a 1 p.m. twinbill.
BASEBALL
West Liberty 4, Fairmont State 3
West Liberty 001 000 3 – 4 7 2
Fairmont State 011 001 0 – 3 6 2
WLU: Smyth wp (7SO, 3W) and Carranza, Francis (7). Pierro D, S, 2rbi; Mirandy D, S; Busby S, 2rbi
FSU: Lilly lp (5SO, 2W) and Orr. Levitan 2S, rbi; Orr S, rbi
West Liberty 9, Fairmont State 0
West Liberty 130 112 1 – 9 15 1
Fairmont State 000 000 0 – 0 4 5
WLU: Stagani wp (5SO, 0W) and Carranza. Busby 3S, rbi; Brunner D, S, rbi; Pierro D, S, rbi; Carranza 2S, 2rbi; Y.Hughes 2S
FSU: Badertscher lp (3SO, 3W), Ransom (4) (1SO, 3W), Rice (7) (1SO, 0W) and Hessler. Keller D
