Baseball | 4/19/2015 7:17:00 PM
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team split another doubleheader with league-leading Shepherd on a wet and gusty Sunday afternoon at Kovalick Field.
Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (21-14, 17-11) came from behind for a 6-5 extra-inning win in the first game while the Rams (27-9, 27-9) found some late offense to claim a 10-2 victory in the finale. The two rivals were coming off a similar twinbill split on Saturday.
In the opener, West Liberty took advantage of some shaky Shepherd defense to pull out a thrilling walk-off win. The Rams had gone up, 5-3, on Jonathan Sarty's two-out, two-run single in the top of the eighth but the Hilltoppers went to work quickly in the bottom of the frame.
Jordan Meyer greeted relief pitcher Brian Martin with a ringing double down the left field line. After an infield popup, Bub Haddox reached on an error by the first baseman, putting the tying runs on base with one out. Tim Mirandy singled home Meyer with Haddox moving up to second. A fly ball to right wasn't deep enough to advance the runners but Jon-Michael Brunner kept things going with an infield single to load the bases. With Jarred Carranza at the plate, Haddox came sprinting home with the tying run on a wild pitch. Carranza put the ball in play up the middle and an infield error allowed Mirandy to come home with the winning run. Meyer had the only multi-hit game for the hosts with a single and double.
Shepherd broke up a tight pitchers' duel in the finale with five runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh to salvage the split.
West Liberty starter Yale Hughes had held the hard-hitting Rams to one run on just three singles through the first five innings but ran out of gas in the sixth. Shepherd's Steve Wolfe led off the inning with a solo homer just inside the right field foul pole. A bunt single and three straight walks forced in another run and the visitors tacked on three more against the WLU bullpen.
Jordan Meyer spoiled a shutout bid by Shepherd's John Bentley with a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the seventh. Meyer led the Hilltopper attack with a single and a double. Mirandy and D.J. Busby each smacked out a pair of singles while Haddox added a double.
BASEBALL
West Liberty 6, Shepherd 5
(2 out when winning run scored)
Shepherd 000 030 02 – 5 10 4
West Liberty 001 020 03 – 6 7 1
Shep: DiRosario (1SO, 0W), Martin lp (8) (0SO, 0W) and Wolfe. Wilson HR, S, 2rbi; Sarty 2S, 2rbi; Heleine 2S, rbi
WLU: Pare (3SO, 3W), Fuscardo wp (5) (1SO, 2W) and Francis, Carranza (6). Meyer D, S, rbi; Mirandy S, rbi
Shepherd 10, West Liberty 2
Shepherd 001 005 4 – 10 10 1
West Liberty 000 000 2 – 2 11 1
Shep: Bentley wp (4SO, 0W) and Wolfe. Wolfe HR, D, rbi; Sarty D, S, 2rbi; Carney 2S, 3rbi; Shemer 2S, rbi; Crater S, 2rbi
WLU: Y.Hughes lp (4SO, 5W), Knisley (6) (0SO, 0W), Polanski (7) (0SO, 1W), Secore (7) (0SO, 0W) and Carranza, Estes (7). Meyer D, S, 2rbi; Busby 2S; Mirandy 2S; Haddox D
