West Liberty University Athletics

Hilltoppers Salvage Split With Notre Dame

Baseball | 4/8/2016 8:45:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team broke out the heavy artillery to salvage a split of a doubleheader with Notre Dame (Ohio) Friday afternoon at a cold and windy Kovalick Field.
Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (19-10, 12-8) hammered out an 11-3 win in the second game of the MEC twinbill after dropping a tough 3-2 decision to the Falcons (16-15, 9-5) in the opener.
West Liberty obliterated a 3-2 Notre Dame lead in the nightcap by exploding for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Hilltoppers tacked on single tallies in the fifth and seventh frames of the scheduled 9-inning affair to back another solid mound outing from Greg Stagani. The WLU junior improved to 5-1 on the season by going seven strong innings with five strikeouts and three walks. Chris Secore finished off the visitors with two innings of shutout relief.
D.J. Busby paced a 14-hit barrage for the Black and Gold with two doubles, two singles and an RBI. Tim Hughes drove in two runs with a pair of singles while Mike Adams added two singles and an RBI. Jordan Meyer and Jared Carranza each finished with a single and two RBIs
In the first game, Notre Dame made an early 3-0 lead stand up as a WLU comeback effort fell just short. Jordon Meyer doubled and singled for the hosts while Mike Adams had a pair of hits. Tim Hughes doubled home a run in the sixth and D.J. Busby had a single and an RBI.
Mark Smyth took the hard-luck loss on the hill, giving up five hits while striking out two and walking one. Smyth faced the minimum over the last four innings, retiring 12 of the last 13 batters he faced with a caught stealing erasing the Falcons' lone baserunner.
Saturday's scheduled doubleheader with Notre Dame has been moved to Sunday at Consol Energy Park. The first game will start at 4 p.m.

BASEBALL
Notre Dame (Ohio) 3, West Liberty 2
Notre Dame (Ohio) 102 000 0 - 3 5 0
West Liberty 000 011 0 - 2 7 1
NDC: Armbruster wp (1SO, 3W), Beasore (6) (2SO, 1W) and Kirsh. Barker D, S, rbi; Beaver 2S; Quick S, 2rbi
WLU: Smyth lp (2SO, 1W) and Francis. Meyer D, S; Adams 2S; Hughes D, rbi; Busby S, rbi

West Liberty 11, Notre Dame (Ohio) 3
Notre Dame (Ohio) 002 100 000 - 3 5 6
West Liberty 200 710 10x - 11 14 2
NDC: Tanfield (2SO, 0W), Raponi lp (0SO, 1W), Barnum (4) (0SO, 1W), Murphy (5) (4SO, 1W), Pierson (8) (0SO, 0W) and Findlay. Lett HR, S, rbi; Barker D, rbi; Quick S, rbi
WLU: Stagani wp (5SO, 3W), Secore (8) (2SO, 0W) and Carranza. Busby 2D, 2S, rbi; T.Hughes 2S, 2rbi; Adams 2S, rbi; Meyer S, 2rbi; Carranza S, 2rbi

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

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

#4 Jordan Meyer: OF; 5' 10"; Senior

#20 Chris Secore: P; 5' 10"; Senior

#14 Mark Smyth: P; 6' 2"; Senior

#25 Greg Stagani: P; 6' 4"; Junior

Players Mentioned

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

#4 Jordan Meyer
: 5' 10"; Senior
: OF

#20 Chris Secore
: 5' 10"; Senior
: P

#14 Mark Smyth
: 6' 2"; Senior
: P

#25 Greg Stagani
: 6' 4"; Junior
: P