West Liberty University Athletics

Regionally-Ranked Hilltoppers Split With Vulcans

Baseball | 4/11/2017 6:08:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The regionally-ranked West Liberty University baseball team split a non-conference doubleheader with California (Pa.) Tuesday afternoon at Kovalick Field.
Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (19-10) rebounded from a 6-0 loss in the opener to salvage the split by handing the Vulcans (13-15) a 6-5 loss in the finale.
The Black and Gold, up to No. 8 in the latest NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rankings, had to battle their way back from a 4-0 deficit to pull out the win in the second game.
Yale Hughes got West Liberty on the board with a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the lead in half at 4-2 and a little more two-out lightning put WLU ahead to stay in the bottom of the fifth.
With one run in and runners on first and second, the Hilltoppers' Chris Follina fanned for what appeared to be the third out of the inning but the pitch eluded the California catcher and Follina reached first on the passed ball to keep the inning alive. Mike Adams made the Vulcans pay, lining a two-run single to left that sent West Liberty into the sixth with a 5-4 lead.
Alex Rojas added an insurance tally with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the sixth but the Vulcans didn't go quietly.
California scratched out an unearned run in the top of the seventh and had the winning run in scoring position with two out before Tory Fuscardo got the final out on an infield popup to complete a two-inning save.
It was a different story in the opener as West Liberty never got anything going against Vulcan righthander Neil Dudley. The junior hurler held WLU to just three singles while striking out two and not walking a batter. Garrett Brooks and Kristian Webb each homered for the visitors.
The Hilltoppers return to Mountain East Conference action this weekend when they host Urbana in back-to-back 1 p.m. doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday.

BASEBALL
California (Pa.) 6, West Liberty 0
California (Pa.) 011 200 2 - 6 8 0
West Liberty 000 000 0 - 0 3 2
Cal: Dudley wp (2SO, 0W) and Webb. Brooks HR, D, rbi; Webb HR, S, rbi; Grace D, rbi
WLU: Maloney lp (2SO, 3W), Stewart (7) (1SO, 0W) and Harper.

West Liberty 6, California (Pa.) 5
California (Pa.) 102 100 1 - 5 7 1
West Liberty 000 231 x - 6 7 0
Cal: Eritz (4SO, 1W), Catherine lp (5) (2SO, 0W), Kail (6) (2SO, 0W) and Yourgal. Marcus 2D, rbi; Brooks 2S
WLU: Clark (1SO, 5W), Naumann (3) (1SO, 1W), Viakley wp (5) (0SO, 1W), Fuscardo (6) (2SO, 0W) and Cooley, Rojas (6). Adams 2S, 2rbi; Y.Hughes HR, 2rbi; Rojas S, rbi; Nees S, rbi

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#27 Chris Follina: OF; 5' 9"; Sophomore

#9 Tory Fuscardo: P; 5' 9"; Senior

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

#4 Alex Rojas: C; 5' 11"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#27 Chris Follina
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: OF

#9 Tory Fuscardo
: 5' 9"; Senior
: P

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

#4 Alex Rojas
: 5' 11"; Senior
: C