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

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

    ATHENS, W.Va. – The West Liberty University softball team split a Mountain East Conference doubleheader at Concord on Friday afternoon.
    Coach Herb Minch's Hilltoppers (11-13, 5-9) took a 6-2 decision in the first game only to see the host Mountain Lions (12-14, 9-7) stage multiple comebacks to pull out a 6-5 extra-inning win in the finale.
    In the opener, West Liberty jumped out to a quick early lead and hard-throwing freshman Makenzie Amend took care of the rest. The Hilltopper hurler struck out five while holding Concord to just four singles in a route-going performance, improving her record to 7-3 on the young season.
    Kelsi Johnson doubled, singled and drove in a run while Katie Beeman added a pair of base knocks. Connor Assif's 2-run single in the top of the fifth put the game out of reach.
    The Black and Gold seemed well on their way to a sweep in the late game as West Liberty carried a 4-0 lead into the sixth inning.
    The Hilltoppers saw that four-run lead evaporate on consecutive two-out pitches in the bottom of the frame when Concord's Kayle Starnes smacked a 2-run double and Lauren Blunt followed with a 2-run homer to knot the score at 4-4.
    Kat Donzella put WLU back on top, 5-4, with an RBI single in the top of the seventh – her fourth hit of the game – but the Mountain Lions got an unearned run in the bottom of the inning to force the game into extra innings.
    After West Liberty put multiple runners on base in the eighth and ninth frame but failed get a run across, Concord's Abby Beatty led off the bottom of the ninth with a game-winning blast over the left field wall.
    Donzella paced a 12-hit barrage for the Hilltoppers with a double, three singles and two RBIs while Amend and Beeman each chipped in with a double and single. Allie Cook added a pair of singles and Johnson smacked another double.
    West Liberty returns home to host Ohio County rival Wheeling Jesuit in a 2 p.m. makeup doubleheader on Monday at the WLU Softball Complex.
  West Liberty                                      220 020 0 - 6  8  0
Concord                                              000 020 0 - 2  4  2
     WLU: Amend wp (5SO, 3W) and Donzella. Johnson D, S, rbi; Beeman 2S; Assif S, 2rbi; Mullins rbi
     Con: Fitzpatrick lp (0SO, 0W), Pritchard (2) (2SO, 2W) and Blunt, Neri (2). Neri S, 2rbi
  West Liberty                              002 020 100 - 5  12  1
Concord                                       000 004 101 - 6  11  2
     WLU: Amend (0SO, 1W), Sieger lp (7) (0SO, 1W) and Donzella. Donzella D, 3S, 2rbi; Beeman D, S; Amend D, S; Cook 2S, 2rbi; Johnson D; Mullins rbi
     Con: Pritchard (1SO, 0W), Williams wp (5) (5SO, 2W) and Neri. Fitzpatrick 3S; Blunt HR, S, 2rbi; Beatty HR, S, rbi; Starnes D, 2rbi; Witt D