Baseball | 4/14/2018 8:05:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
    URBANA, Ohio - The West Liberty University baseball team pulled off a pair of seventh-inning comebacks here Saturday to sweep a marathon Mountain East Conference doubleheader from Urbana at Blue Knight Field.
    Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (14-15, 12-8) dug themselves out of a 10-0 hole to hand Urbana (6-28, 6-14) a 13-11 loss in the opener before rallying to a 10-9 victory in the finale.
    In the first game, it was Tyler Ramsay's seventh-inning grand slam – his second home run of the game – that finally capped the Hilltoppers' improbable comeback from a double-digit deficit.
    After sitting out nearly a 2-hour rain delay before the opening pitch, Urbana scored 10 unearned runs in a nightmarish bottom of the first inning.
    West Liberty starter Mitchell Viakley got the leadoff batter on a comebacker to the mound and struck out the next two hitters. Unfortunately for WLU, the second batter had reached base on a passed ball and that led to a world of trouble.
    Things escalated quickly with seven hits - including a grand slam - two walks, a hit-by-pitch, a balk and two wild pitches allowing the Blue Knights to take a 10-0 lead before the Hilltoppers finally got that elusive third out.
    With freshman reliever Tyler Blomquist holding the Urbana attack at bay, the West Liberty offense began chipping away at the deficit.
    A four-run fourth inning trimmed the margin to a more manageable 10-7. Urbana scratched out a single tally in the bottom of the fifth but Ramsay belted a solo homer in the top of the sixth to make it 11-8 heading to the seventh.
    After Bub Haddox cut the lead to 11-9 with a one-out RBI single, a walk and hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Marcus. The WLU third baseman jumped on a 1-0 pitch and hammered a grand slam deep over the left field fence for a 13-11 Hilltopper lead. Blomquist got the final three outs to seal his first collegiate win, holding the hosts to two runs on nine hits while striking out five over the final 6.1 innings.
    Ramsay paced a 12-hit attack for WLU with two homers and five RBIs. Coby Eckstein chased home a pair of runs with a double and two singles while Nolan Marcus added a pair of hits. Ethan Estes singled and drove in two runs while Dalton Davis and Chad Matthus also had run-scoring hits.
    The lead changed hands no less than six times during a see-saw second game before the Hilltoppers walked away with the win.
    Urbana scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to carry a 9-8 lead into the seventh but Chad Harper ignited the game-winning rally with a leadoff triple to dead centerfield.
    Nolan Marcus brought him home with a sacrifice fly and Chad Matthus also flied out to center but Haddox worked a walk to keep the inning going and promptly stole second. Estes was hit by a 3-2 pitch before Eckstein brought Haddox home with the game-winner on a single to left.
    Haddox picked up the save in the bottom of the seventh. Urbana put the tying and winning runs on base with one out but Haddox got Daniel Quiroz to ground into a game-ending double play.
    Eckstein capped a huge day at the plate with four more hits - a double and three singles - and three RBIs while Haddox drove in a pair of runs with a homer, double and single. Harper had a triple and a single and Estes chipped in with a double and a single. Ramsay added an RBI double and Justice Jackson had a run-scoring single.
    The Hilltoppers step out of conference play on Tuesday when they host Pitt-Johnstown in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Kovalick Field.
  West Liberty                               0     12 401 5 - 13  12  1
Urbana                                         (10)00 010 0 - 11  14  4
     WLU: Grimm lp (2SO, 2W), Blomquist wp (1) (5SO, 2W) and Harper.  Ramsay 2HR, 5rbi; Eckstein D, 2S, 2rbi; Marcus 2S; Estes S, 2rbi; Davis S, rbi; Matthus S, rbi; V.Haddox S, rbi; Harper D
     Urb: Bess (3SO, 6W), Townsend (4) (0SO, 1W), Guerrero lp (7) (0SO, 1W) and Tanner. Coy 3S; Losey HR, D, 4rbi; Davis D, S, 2rbi; Pratt 2S, rbi; Fullenkamp 2S; Barea S, rbi
     West Liberty                               330 002 2 - 10  15  1
Urbana                                         403 002 0 -   9    9  3
     WLU: Viakley lp (1SO, 2W), Hildreth (3) (0SO, 3W), Shook (3) (0SO, 1W), Nees wp (6) (0SO, 1W), V.Haddox (7) (0SO, 1W) and Harper. Eckstein D, 3S, 3rbi; V.Haddox HR, D, S, 2rbi; Harper T, S; Estes D, S; Ramsay D, rbi; Jackson S, rbi; Matthus D
     Urb: Orr (3SO, 3W). McRae lp (6) (1SO, 1W) and Fullenkamp. Barea D, 2S, 3rbi; Pratt 3S, rbi; Burkholder D, S, rbi; Tanner HR, 2rbi