West Liberty University Athletics

Hilltoppers Fall in Non-Conference Twinbill

Baseball | 4/27/2016 5:15:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WASHINGTON, Pa. – The West Liberty University baseball team dropped a non-conference doubleheader to California (Pa.) Wednesday afternoon at Consol Energy Park.
Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (23-19) came out on the short end of a 16-1 count in the first game before the Vulcans (24-18) rallied for a 5-4 win in the final.
In the opener, West Liberty pushed across an unearned run in the top of the first but the hosts answered with a 7-run uprising in the bottom of the frame and never took their foot off the gas.
California raked five WLU hurlers for 16 hits, including four home runs, two triples and a pair of doubles. Bub Haddox tripled in a losing cause for the Black and Gold.
The Hilltoppers bounced back quickly in the finale and carried a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth before the Vulcans hit the comeback trail.
California took advantage of three walks, a pair of stolen bases and some clutch hits to push three runs across and was still threatening with the bases loaded and one out before WLU reliever Cody Shook got out of the jam with a double-play grounder.
West Liberty nursed that 4-3 lead into the sixth only to see the hosts' Joe Yourgal turn an 0-2 pitch into a two-run home run – Yourgal's third circuit blast of the day – to put the Vulcans ahead to stay.
Clay Francis doubled and singled for the Hilltoppers while D.J. Busby added two hits and drove in a run. Justice Jackson had an RBI double and Connor Coup donated an RBI single.
West Liberty returns to Mountain East Conference action on Saturday and Sunday when the Black and Gold host Fairmont State in back-to-back 1 p.m. doubleheaders at Kovalick Field.

BASEBALL
California (Pa.) 16, West Liberty 1
West Liberty 100 000 0 - 1 6 0
California (Pa.) 733 012 x - 16 16 1
WLU: Clark lp (0SO, 4W), Peroni (1) (1SO, 2W), Aulick (3) (1SO, 2W), Stewart (3) (0SO, 0W), Maloney (6) (1SO, 0W) and Carranza. Haddox T
Cal: Eritz wp (2SO, 1W), Wolf (6) (0SO, 1W) and Webb. Yourgal 2HR, D, 6rbi; Fairman HR, T, S, 5rbi; Webb D, S; Brooks 2S, rbi; Wastchak HR, rbi; Logan T

California (Pa.) 5, West Liberty 4
West Liberty 101 200 0 - 4 7 0
California (Pa.) 000 302 x - 5 7 4
WLU: Retzer (1SO, 2W), Shook (4) (0SO, 1W), Fuscardo lp (5) (0SO, 0W), Secore (6) (0SO, 0W) and Francis, Carranza (6). Francis D, S; Busby 2S, rbi; Jackson D, rbi; Coup S, rbi
Cal: Novotney (2SO, 1W), Luko (4) (1SO, 2W), Catherine (4) (0SO, 0W), Warner (6) (0SO, 0W), Krause (7) (0SO, 0W) and Yourgal. Logan 2S, rbi; Yourgal HR, 2rbi; Fairman S, rbi

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Players Mentioned

#36 Connor Coup: IF; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#13 Clay Francis: C; 6' 0"; Senior

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

#39 Cody Shook: P; 5' 9"; Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

#36 Connor Coup
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: IF

#13 Clay Francis
: 6' 0"; Senior
: C

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

#39 Cody Shook
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Freshman
: P