West Liberty University Athletics

Hilltopper Bats Salvage Split With Shepherd

Baseball | 4/24/2016 8:24:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team salvaged a split of a Mountain East Conference doubleheader with Shepherd at Kovalick Field on Sunday by breaking out the heavy artillery in the second game.
Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (23-17, 12-13) pounded out 13 hits, including a pair of home runs, and scored in six of their eight at-bats en route to a 12-4 blowout in the scheduled 9-inning series finale. The MEC North Division-leading Rams (28-10, 19-5) had taken an 8-3 nod in the opener.
West Liberty jumped on Shepherd early in the second game as an RBI double by Bub Haddox and a two-run circuit blast off the bat of Mike Adams put the hosts on top, 3-0, at the end of the first inning.
The Hilltoppers squeezed home a run in the third and added two more in the fourth for a 6-0 lead. The visitors finally got on the board with a couple of runs in the top of the fifth but West Liberty answered with three more in the bottom of the frame and never looked back.
Adams and Tim Hughes each drove home a pair of runs with a home run and a single while Haddox finished with a double, single and two RBIs. Ethan Estes had two hits and drove in a run while D.J. Busby also rapped out a pair of singles. Justice Jackson chipped in with a two-run single and Nolan Marcus added a single and an RBI.
Yale Hughes went the distance for the complete-game win, striking out five and walking five in a solid nine innings of work.
In the opener, Shepherd broke up a 2-2 tie with six runs in the top of the seventh. Busby and Jackson each had two singles and an RBI for West Liberty with Marcus also ripping out a pair of base knocks.
The Hilltoppers step out of conference play on Wednesday for a noon doubleheader against California (Pa.) at Consol Energy Park in Washington, Pa.

BASEBALL
Shepherd 8, West Liberty 3
Shepherd 000 110 6 - 8 11 1
West Liberty 001 100 1 - 3 6 2
Shep: Stead (1SO, 3W), Driver wp (6) (3SO, 0W) and Hamel. Sarty 2HR, S, 4rbi; Farley 2S; Heleine 2S; Hoffman D, rbi; Hamel S, rbi
WLU: Pare (3SO, 7W), Dyson lp (6) (0SO, 0W), Fuscardo (7) (0SO, 1W) and Carranza. Busby 2S, rbi; Jackson 2S, rbi; Marcus 2S

West Liberty 12, Shepherd 4
Shepherd 000 020 101 - 4 11 2
West Liberty 301 231 02x - 12 13 1
Shep: Benner lp (1SO, 2W), Guy (3) (0SO, 1W), Mister (5) (2SO, 0W), Simpson (8) (0SO, 0W) and Hamel, Smallwood (8). Porter HR, S, rbi; Carney D, S, rbi; Brown D, S; Farley 2S; Sarty D, rbi
WLU: Y.Hughes wp (5SO, 5W) and Francis. Adams HR, S, 2rbi; T.Hughes HR, S, 2rbi; Haddox D, S, 2rbi; Estes 2S, rbi; Busby 2S; Jackson S, 2rbi; Marcus S, rbi

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Players Mentioned

#2 Ethan Estes: IF; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#1 Tim Hughes: IF; 6' 0"; Junior

#16 Yale Hughes: P; 6' 4"; Junior

#12 Justice Jackson: OF; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#10 Nolan Marcus: P/IF; 5' 8"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#2 Ethan Estes
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: IF

#1 Tim Hughes
: 6' 0"; Junior
: IF

#16 Yale Hughes
: 6' 4"; Junior
: P

#12 Justice Jackson
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: OF

#10 Nolan Marcus
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: P/IF