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Shepherd Hangs on to Sweep WLU Baseball

Baseball | 4/21/2017 6:33:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – A ninth-inning rally fell just short here Friday afternoon for the West Liberty University baseball team as Shepherd finished off a doubleheader sweep in Mountain East Conference action at Fairfax Field.
Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (22-13, 16-6) dropped a 9-5 decision to the host Rams (22-17, 18-4) in the opener before seeing Shepherd hang on for a 6-5 win in the finale to take a two-game lead over WLU in the MEC North Division chase.
The 9-inning second game was a see-saw affair from the start. West Liberty carried a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth only to see the Rams score three times to claim a 4-3 advantage.
The Hilltoppers knotted the count at 4-4 with a single run in the sixth but Shepherd broke the deadlock with back-to-back 2-out home runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 6-4 lead.
West Liberty loaded the bases with none out on three straight singles in the top of the ninth and closed the gap to 6-5 when Coby Eckstein was hit by a pitch.
Unfortunately for the visitors, the Rams escaped further damage by getting a shallow fly ball and a double-play grounder to end the game.
Mike Adams led a 14-hit attack for WLU with four singles and an RBI while Ethan Estes doubled twice to go along with a single and an RBI. Bub Haddox had a double and a single and Nolan Marcus chipped in with two singles and an RBI.
Shepherd jumped on top early in the second game, combining four extra-base hits with a walk, an error and a couple of wild pitches to plate six runs in the bottom of the second.
Adams cracked a three-run homer for the Black and Gold in the top of the third but the Hilltoppers weren't able to battle all the way back against Ryan Pansch. The Ram ace allowed a pair of unearned runs in the fifth before blanking West Liberty over the final two frames to move to 7-0 on the season.
Justice Jackson singled, scored a run and drove in another with a sacrifice fly while Haddox had a single and two stolen bases for the Hilltoppers.
West Liberty will try to move back into a tie for the North Division lead on Saturday when the teams return to Fairfax Field for another 1 p.m. doubleheader.

BASEBALL
Shepherd 9, West Liberty 5
West Liberty 000 320 0 - 5    5  2
Shepherd    061 101 x - 9  10  3
WLU: Pare lp (3SO, 4W), Shook (5) (0SO, 0W) and Rojas. Adams HR, 3rbi; Jackson S, rbi
SU: Pansch wp (6SO, 1W) and Haymaker. Doyle T, D, 2rbi; Farley D, S, rbi; Haymaker D, 2rbi; Kirk D, rbi; Heleine D

Shepherd 6, West Liberty 5
West Liberty 001 021 001 - 5  14  1
Shepherd    000 130 20x - 6    8  1
WLU: Retzer lp (5SO, 1W), Shook (8) (0SO, 0W) and Rojas. Adams 4S, rbi; Estes 2D, S, rbi; V.Haddox D, S; Marcus 2S, rbi; Y.Hughes D
SU: Bentley (9SO, 1W), Potts wp (7) (3SO, 0W), Galati (9) (0SO, 0W) and Burack. Carney HR, D, S, 3rbi; Sarty HR, S, rbi; Burack D, rbi
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Players Mentioned

Coby Eckstein

#7 Coby Eckstein

IF
6' 2"
Sophomore
Ethan Estes

#2 Ethan Estes

IF
5' 10"
Junior
Justice Jackson

#12 Justice Jackson

OF
6' 1"
Junior
Nolan Marcus

#10 Nolan Marcus

P/IF
5' 8"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Coby Eckstein

#7 Coby Eckstein

6' 2"
Sophomore
IF
Ethan Estes

#2 Ethan Estes

5' 10"
Junior
IF
Justice Jackson

#12 Justice Jackson

6' 1"
Junior
OF
Nolan Marcus

#10 Nolan Marcus

5' 8"
Junior
P/IF