WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The surging West Liberty University softball team ran its winning streak to seven games and remained unbeaten in Mountain East Conference play here Sunday with a doubleheader sweep of Notre Dame (Ohio) at the WLU Softball Complex.
    Coach Herb Minch's Hilltoppers (10-9, 4-0) handed the visiting Falcons (5-9, 1-3) an 8-2 loss in the opener and followed that up with a 6-1 victory in the finale to complete the sweep.
    After spotting Notre Dame an early 1-0 lead in the first contest, the Black and Gold exploded for five runs in the bottom of the second and scored three more in the fourth inning to put the game out of reach.
    Sydney Bennington's 2-run double highlighted the 5-run uprising in the second inning and Kat Donzella launched a 2-run homer in the fourth.
    Katie Beeman continued her hot hitting with a double and a single while Haley Collett added a pair of base knocks for the Hilltoppers.
    In the second game, West Liberty scored twice in the bottom of the first and added three more tallies in the second inning to take control early.
    Kaitlyn Stress went 3-for-3 and scored twice while Bennington knocked in two runs with a double and a single and Kate Meloun laced out a pair of singles. Beeman chipped in with an RBI double and Donzella singled home two more runs for the hosts.
    West Liberty takes its 7-game winning streak on the road this weekend with a Saturday doubleheader at the University of Charleston and a Sunday twinbill at West Virginia State.