Softball | 3/29/2016 7:51:00 PM
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CEDARVILLE, Ohio – The West Liberty University softball team snapped an 11-game losing streak in the first game of a non-conference doubleheader here Tuesday afternoon but host Cedarville came frrom behind in the second game to salvage a split.
Coach Jim Bacca's Hilltoppers (7-25) took an 8-7 nod in the opener before the Yellow Jackets (12-18) pounded out a 13-5 verdict in the finale. West Liberty had to come from behind in the latter innings to pull out the narrow decision in the first game. Cedarville scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth, erasing an early WLU advantage and taking a 6-5 lead, but the visitors struck right back as Kylee Ensign delivered a two-out RBI single in the top of the fifth to knot the score at 6-6. West Liberty went ahead to stay with two runs in the top of the sixth. Nicki Mihalik got things rolling with a one-out double down the left field line. Taylor Paladino sacrificed her to second and Ensign came through with another two-out RBI, punching a run-scoring single through the right side for a 7-6 lead. Ensign then stole second to put herself in scoring position and Kelsi Johnson fouled off three straight two-strike pitches before driving in Ensign with a single to right-center. The Yellow Jackets got one of the runs back in the bottom of the frame but Savannah Sieger worked out of the jam with no further damage before closing out the win in the seventh.
Chris led a 13-hit barrage for the Hilltoppers with three singles and two RBIs while Kaitlyn Higginbotham added two singles and drove in a pair of runs. Paladino, Ensign and Johnson all had two singles and an RBI while Sieger and Mihalik each doubled and scored a run. West Liberty jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead in the second game but Cedarville came roaring back with 13 unanswered runs on 17 hits to invoke the mercy rule after six innings.
Sydney Bennington had a big game for WLU with a triple, double and two RBIs while Paladino chipped in with a double and a single. Higgenbotham had her second straight multi-hit game with a pair of base knocks while Johnson doubled home a run and Mihalik added a single and an RBI. The Hilltoppers return to Mountain East Conference action on Wednesday with a 3 p.m. twinbill at Urbana.
SOFTBALL
West Liberty 8, Cedarville 7
West Liberty 200 312 0 - 8 13 2
Cedarville 001 501 0 - 7 14 0
WLU: Sieger wp (3SO, 2W) and Mogielski. Chris 3S, 2rbi; Higgenbotham 2S, 2rbi; Paladino 2S, rbi; Ensign 2S, rbi; Johnson 2S, rbi; Sieger D; Mihalik D
Ced: Cornish (1SO, 2W), Furman lp (0SO, 1W) and Stephano, Woerner (6), Stephano (7). Davis 2D, S, 2rbi; D, 2S, 2rbi; Moore 3S; Wolgamot 2S; Griffith D, 2rbi
Cedarville 13, West Liberty 5
West Liberty 410 000 - 5 8 2
Cedarville 014 161 - 13 17 1
WLU: Barr lp (2SO, 5W), Higgenbotham (6) (0SO, 1W) and Paladino. Bennington T, D, 2rbi; Paladino D, S; Higgenbotham 2S; Johnson D, rbi; Mihalik S, rbi
Ced: Wolgamot wp (0SO, 2W) and Woerner. Eigsti 3S, 4rbi; Davis 2S, 3rbi; O'Dell 2S, 3rbi; Hanzel 2S, rbi; Kirkpatrick 2S; Arbogast 2S
