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Two More Wins for West Liberty Baseball

Baseball | 4/15/2017 7:28:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team held onto its share of the lead in the Mountain East Conference's North Division Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader sweep of Urbana at Kovalick Field.
Coach Eric Burkle's regionally-ranked Hilltoppers (22-11, 16-4) pulled out a 3-2 win in the opener before hammering the Blue Knights (13-23, 7-13) by a 15-7 count in the finale.
After seeing Urbana tie the first game with two runs in the top of the seventh, West Liberty – No. 8 in the latest NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rankings – struck back quickly in the bottom of the frame.
Alex Rojas drew a leadoff walk and Chad Matthus came on as a pinch-runner. Justice Jackson followed with a sacrifice bunt but the pitcher's throw to first sailed down the right field line and Matthus sprinted all the way around to score the winning run.
Tyler Ramsay had two singles, including a clutch 2-out, 2-RBI base knock in the bottom of the first. Mike Adams also had a pair of hits and Rojas chipped in with a double.
Parker Dyson got the win with six strong innings of relief, striking out 7 and giving up only one walk.
Members of West Liberty's history-making baseball teams of the mid-1970s were honored between games during a special ceremony. The Hilltoppers, coached by WLU Hall of Famer Jim Watson, reeled off an unprecedented five consecutive West Virginia Conference championships from 1973 through 1977.
The former players and coaches were treated to an old-fashioned slugfest in the second game as the Black and Gold smashed three home runs and pounded out 13 hits in completing the sweep.
Coby Eckstein cracked two home runs and drove in four runs while Rojas hit a three-run homer and scored four runs himself. Matthus collected three singles and two RBIs while Jackson doubled and singled to drive in three runs and Adams picked up two more RBIs with a double and a single.
West Liberty returns to action on April 22-23 with a pair of crucial doubleheaders at Shepherd. The Hilltoppers and Rams are tied for first place in the MEC North with identical 16-4 records.

BASEBALL
West Liberty 3, Urbana 2
(None out when winning run scored)
Urbana      000 000 2 - 2  4  2
West Liberty 200 000 1 - 3  7  2
UU: Greenwalt lp (6SO, 3W), Ramirez (7) (0SO, 0W) and Z.Tanner. Burkholder S, rbi
WLU: Stagani (2SO, 1W), Dyson wp (7SO, 1W) and Rojas. Ramsay 2S, 2rbi; Adams 2S; Rojas D

West Liberty 15, Urbana 7
Urbana      002 310 010 -   7  11  1
West Liberty 011 432 40x - 15  13  4
UU: Takakura (7SO, 3W), Sheffer lp (4) (1SO, 1W), Keller (7) (1SO, 0W), McRae (8) (0SO, 0W) and T.Davis. Franklin 3S, 2rbi; Barea 3S; Burkholder 2S, rbi; Coy S, rbi; Gallagher D; Losey D
WLU: Y.Hughes (5SO, 0W), Marcus wp (5) (2SO, 2W), Viakley (9) (0SO, 2W) and Rojas, Harper (8). Matthus 3S, 2rbi; Eckstein 2HR, 4rbi; Jackson D, S, 3rbi; Adams D, S, 2rbi; Rojas HR, 3rbi; Westlake D
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Players Mentioned

Parker Dyson

#24 Parker Dyson

P
6' 5"
Sophomore
Coby Eckstein

#7 Coby Eckstein

IF
6' 2"
Sophomore
Justice Jackson

#12 Justice Jackson

OF
6' 1"
Junior
Chad Matthus

#3 Chad Matthus

IF
5' 9"
Freshman
Alex Rojas

#4 Alex Rojas

C
5' 11"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Parker Dyson

#24 Parker Dyson

6' 5"
Sophomore
P
Coby Eckstein

#7 Coby Eckstein

6' 2"
Sophomore
IF
Justice Jackson

#12 Justice Jackson

6' 1"
Junior
OF
Chad Matthus

#3 Chad Matthus

5' 9"
Freshman
IF
Alex Rojas

#4 Alex Rojas

5' 11"
Senior
C