Baseball | 3/11/2016 7:19:00 AM
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team got its Mountain East Conference schedule off to a flying start here Thursday with a doubleheader sweep of Charleston at Appalachian Power Park by scores of 11-5 and 8-1.
In the opener, Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (6-1, 2-0) were looking for a little insurance as they carried a 3-1 lead into the top of the seventh and they found it. West Liberty pounded out six hits and plated eight runs in the inning to put the game on ice. The Golden Eagles (3-9, 0-2) scored four runs of their own in the bottom of the frame but it was too little, too late. Jordon Meyer had 3 RBIs on a single and double for the Hilltoppers while D.J. Busby, Justice Jackson and Nolan Marcus each lined out a pair of singles. Michael Adams had a double and 2 RBIs while Jose Carranza and Chris Follina chimed in with run-scoring doubles. Bub Haddox had a single and 2 RBIs while Mark Smyth pitched into the seventh to earn the win. It was big-inning time again for the Black and Gold in the nightcap as the Hilltoppers batted around in a 5-run fifth inning to put the game out of reach for hard-throwing Greg Stagani. Stagani was dominant at times on the mound, striking out 11 while walking just two. The Golden Eagles spoiled his shutout bid with a single tally in the bottom of the sixth.
Adams drove in two runs with a single and a double while Clay Francis also picked up a pair of RBIs with two base knocks. Busby and Ethan Estes added two singles each for the Hilltoppers. West Liberty heads to Glenville State on Friday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
BASEBALL
West Liberty 11, Charleston 5
West Liberty 003 000 8 - 11 12 0
Charleston 010 000 4 - 5 7 2
WLU: Smyth wp (5SO, 5W), Fuscardo (7) (2SO, 1W) and Carranza, Francis (7). Meyer D, S, 3rbi; Busby 2S; Jackson 2S; Marcus 2S; Adams D, 2rbi; Carranza D, rbi; Follina D, rbi; Haddox S, 2rbi
UC: Shreve lp (5SO, 3W), Bohlman (7) (1SO, 1W) and Davis. Brunetti 2S, rbi
West Liberty 8, Charleston 1
West Liberty 002 510 0 - 8 9 0
Charleston 000 001 0 - 1 6 0
WL: Stagani wp (11SO, 2W) and Francis. Adams D, S, 2rbi; Francis 2S, 2rbi; Busby 2S; Estes 2S
UC: Webb lp (0SO, 2W), Kinder (4) (0SO, 2W), Yingling (4) (1SO, 0W) and Wilson. Bates D.
