Softball | 3/25/2018 4:15:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

    WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University softball team split a pair of one-run thrillers with the University of Charleston here Sunday in a Mountain East Conference twinbill at the WLU Softball Complex.
    Coach Herb Minch's Hilltoppers (9-9, 3-5) came out on the short end of a 3-2 count in the first game but rebounded with a 7-6 win against the Golden Eagles (14-10, 1-5) in a wild second game.
    The lead switched hands multiple times in the finale. Charleston drew first blood with a single tally in the top of the first. West Liberty's Kat Donzella answered with a 2-run home run in the bottom of the frame but UC regained the upper hand with a 4-run uprising in the top of the fourth.
    The Hilltoppers got a run back in the bottom of the fifth before taking the lead for good with a 4-run rally of their own in the sixth inning. Charleston got a solo home run with 2 out in the top of the seventh but winning pitcher Megan Bosley retired the next batter to seal the game.
    Donzella drove in three runs with a homer and single while Kelsi Johnson also had a multi-hit game with a single and a double. Kelly Mullins, Kaitlyn Stress and Katie Beeman all singled and drove in a run as WLU raked out 10 hits.
    In the opener, Charleston took a 3-1 lead into the seventh inning and a Hilltopper rally came up short. West Liberty scored one run but had another runner cut down at the plate and the game ended with the tying run stranded at third.
    Kate Meloun had a pair of singles for the Black and Gold while Mullins doubled home a run to pace a 9-hit attack.
    The Hilltoppers return to action on Tuesday with a 3 p.m. non-conference doubleheader at Seton Hill (Pa.).
  Charleston                                          020 100 0 - 3  6  3
West Liberty                                      010 000 1 - 2  9  1
     UC: Rowe wp (4SO, 1W) and Christopher. Pinkerton D, S, rbi; Schmidt S, rbi; Dutton D
     WLU: Amend lp (7SO, 4W) and Donzella. K.Meloun 2S; Mullins D, rbi
  Charleston                                        001 400 1 - 6    6  2
West Liberty                                    002 014 x - 7  10  3
     UC: Rowe lp (3SO, 1W), Lucas (6) (0SO, 0W) and Christopher. Marshall 2S, rbi; Gogia S, 2rbi; Christopher HR, rbi; Dutton D
     WLU: Wright (2SO, 3W), Bosley wp (5) (0SO, 0W) and A.Meloun. Donzella HR, S, 3rbi; Johnson D, S; Beeman S, rbi; Mullins S, rbi; Stress S, rbi