Softball | 4/28/2018 5:35:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
    SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – The West Liberty University softball team had to settle for a split in a Mountain East Conference doubleheader with Notre Dame here Saturday afternoon.
    Coach Herb Minch's Hilltoppers (20-22, 12-18) took a 4-0 win in the opener on a three-hit shutout by Makenzie Amend only to see the Falcons (19-29, 14-17) fend off a WLU rally and hang on for a 4-3 nod in the finale.
    Amend was nearly untouchable in the opener as West Liberty's freshman phenom gave up just three singles while posting 10 strikeouts against only one walk.
    Kelly Mullins singled twice and drove in the only run Amend would need in the top of the third while Kelsi Johnson singled and put the game out of reach with a 3-run homer in the top of the seventh. Kat Donzella tripled and Connor Assif doubled as part of WLU's 8-hit attack.
    The Hilltoppers took an early 1-0 lead in the second game on an RBI single by Donzella but solo homers by Amy Hoover and Ariel Lineberger in the bottom of the frame gave the hosts a 2-1 edge.
    Hoover circled the bases for a 2-out inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the second to push the lead to 4-1. Amend slammed the door after that, blanking the Falcons on just two hits the rest of the way but the visitors couldn't come all the way back.
    Kate Meloun delivered a 2-out RBI single in the top of the fifth and Skylar Fankhauser followed with a run-scoring double. That cut the lead to 4-3 while leaving runners at second and third but Notre Dame escaped with no further damage.
    West Liberty also put the tying run on base in the sixth and seventh frames but couldn't come up with the equalizer and the Falcons were able to salvage the split.
    Donzella had a huge game, going 4-for-4 at the plate with four singles and an RBI. Assif added a pair of singles and Beeman doubled as WLU pounded out 10 hits in a losing cause.
    The Hilltoppers return home on Sunday to close out the regular season with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Urbana at the WLU Softball Complex. Senior Day festivities will be held on the field prior to the start of the twinbill.
  West Liberty                                      001 000 3 - 4  8  1
Notre Dame                                       000 000 0 - 0  3  2
     WLU: Amend wp (10SO, 1W) and Donzella. Johnson HR, S, 3rbi; Mullins 2S, rbi; Donzella T; Assif D
     NDC: Olson lp (5SO, 2W) and Smith. Hoover 2S
  West Liberty                                   100 020 0 - 3  10  1
Notre Dame                                     220 000 x - 4    6  2
     WLU: Amend lp (4SO, 1W) and Donzella. Donzella 4S, rbi; Assif 2S; Fankhauser D, rbi; K.Meloun S, rbi; Beeman D
     NDC: Zigmont wp (4SO, 1W) and Smith. Hoover 2HR, 3rbi; Lineberger HR, rbi