WHEELING, W.Va. – Ohio County rivals West Liberty and Wheeling Jesuit split a pair of one-run decisions Saturdayafternoon in a Mountain East Conference doubleheader at the I-470 Complex.
Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (27-18, 21-13) handed the host Cardinals (15-23, 14-20) a 3-2 loss in the first game only to be shut out, 1-0, in the finale. In the opener, reigning Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Week Mark Smyth hurled another gem for the Black and Gold, holding WJU to just four singles in going the route for the complete-game win. Yale Hughes snapped a 2-2 tie in the top of the sixth with a two-out RBI double to right. D.J. Busby and Anthony Pierro each had a pair of singles for West Liberty. Tim Mirandy had a single and an RBI and Bub Haddox doubled. The Hilltoppers got another strong mound outing in the second game but couldn't get Greg Stagani any runs. Stagani held Jesuit to just five singles while striking out seven and walking two. Stagani was hung with the hard-luck loss when the Cardinals plated the game's only run with a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the fifth.
West Liberty had the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the seventh but couldn't bring them around, allowing WJU to salvage the split.
The teams close out the regular season on Sunday with another 1 p.m. doubleheader at the I-470 diamond.
BASEBALL
West Liberty 3, Wheeling Jesuit 2
West Liberty 020 001 0 – 3 8 1
Wheeling Jesuit 000 110 0 – 2 4 0
WLU: Smyth wp (2SO, 3W) and Carranza. Busby 2S; Pierro 2S; Y.Hughes D, 2rbi; Mirandy S, rbi; Haddox D
WJU: Fritts lp (3SO, 1W) and Biega. Ammar S, rbi
Wheeling Jesuit 1, West Liberty 0
West Liberty 000 000 0 – 0 5 0
Wheeling Jesuit 000 010 x – 1 5 2
WLU: Stagani lp (7SO, 2W) and Carranza.
WJU: San Felippo wp (5SO, 0W) and Gaydos.
