WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – Chad Matthus crushed a leadoff home run in the bottom of the eighth inning here Saturday afternoon to give the West Liberty University baseball team a sweep of its Mountain East Conference doubleheader with Urbana at Kovalick Field.
    Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (6-25, 5-13) handed the Blue Knights (7-24, 3-17) a 3-1 loss in the first game before Matthus's clutch blast gave them a 7-6 win in the finale.
    Pitching was the name of the game in the opener.
    Senior southpaw Parker Dyson held Urbana to three singles and one unearned run while striking out eight and walking three over six-plus innings. Luke Nees came on in the seventh to earn the save.
    West Liberty plated two runs in the bottom of the third on a throwing error and an RBI single off the bat of Colton Coss. The Hilltoppers tacked on an insurance tally on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the fifth.
    The Black and Gold were one out away from a 6-4 win in the second game when the Blue Knights' Dino Tharp sent the game into extra innings with a two-run homer in the top of the seventh.
    After giving up the game-tying home run in the seventh, Nees set Urbana down in order in the top of the eighth to set the stage for Matthus's game-winner.
    Coss once again led the attack, scoring twice and stealing a base while smacking out two singles and a double. Coby Eckstein added a double, single and RBI while Bailey McGrath doubled and drove in a run.
    Jarrett Delbrugge and Jason Schutte also had RBI singles while Eric Banal doubled and scored a run.
    Urbana and West Liberty will return to Kovalick Field on Sunday afternoon for another twinbill. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.