Softball | 4/18/2018 6:16:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2  
   WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University softball team dropped back-to-back one-run games to Ohio County rival Wheeling Jesuit Wednesday afternoon at the WLU Softball Complex.
    Coach Herb Minch's Hilltoppers (15-19, 9-15) were edged, 1-0, in an eight-inning pitcher's duel to start the doubleheader and the visiting Cardinals (20-19, 16-8) held on for a 2-1 victory in the finale.
    In the opener, West Liberty couldn't get anything going against WJU ace Mallory Chapman. Katie Beeman led off the bottom of the first with an infield single but was erased on a double play and the Hilltoppers came up empty the rest of the way.
    Chapman went on to record seven strikeouts with no walks while reeling off 24 consecutive outs to complete the 8-inning one-hitter.
    West Liberty hurler Makenzie Amend was nearly as dominant, striking out a dozen Cardinal batters while giving up only three hits and one walk.
    Jesuit's only run came without benefit of a hit in the top of the eighth when the visitors parlayed a hit-by-pitch, stolen base, wild pitch and infield grounder into the only run of the game.
    In the nightcap, West Liberty's seventh-inning rally fell short as Chapman, who had entered the game in relief during the sixth inning, got the final out to strand the tying and winning runs and earn the save.
    The Hilltoppers had put multiple runners on base in the fifth and sixth frame only to be turned away empty-handed before finally breaking through in the seventh.
    Connor Assif got things started with a one-out single and a pair of infield errors put West Liberty on the board. With two out and West Liberty runners at first and third, Chapman fanned the next batter to end the game.
    The Hilltoppers had five hits in the second game with Assif collecting two of them.
    Amend took another hard-luck loss, giving up one unearned run while striking out three batters and issuing two walks in four innings of work. The WLU freshman finished the day with 15 strikeouts and three walks while holding WJU to just five hits over 12 innings.
    The Lady Hilltoppers hit the road this weekend with a Saturday doubleheader at Fairmont State followed by a Sunday twinbill at Shepherd.
  Wheeling Jesuit                             000 000 01 - 1  3  0
West Liberty                                   000 000 00 - 0  1  0
     WJU: Chapman wp (7SO, 0W) and Scott. Holstein 2S, rbi; York D
     WLU: Amend (12SO, 1W) and Donzella. Beeman S
  Wheeling Jesuit                                100 001 0 - 2  6  4
West Liberty                                      000 000 1 - 1  5  3
     WJU: Unterbrink wp (4SO, 0W), Chapman (6) (2SO, 0W) and Scott. Grimes 2S; Chapman S, rbi
     WLU: Amend lp (1SO, 2W), Wright (4) (1SO, 2W), Amend (7) (2SO, 0W) and Donzella, Troggio (4), A.Meloun (6), Donzella (7). Assif 2S