Softball | 4/22/2019 7:31:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2     WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The regionally-ranked West Liberty University softball team split a Mountain East Conference doubleheader with Fairmont State Monday afternoon on Senior Day at the WLU Softball Complex.
    Infielder Sydney Bennington and pitcher Megan Bosley were honored along with their parents in a pre-game ceremony.
    Coach Herb Minch's Hilltoppers (27-16, 19-7), ranked No. 4 in the latest NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rankings, dropped a 6-3 decision to the Falcons (23-19, 17-11) in the opener before bouncing back with a 6-3 win in the finale to earn the split.
    In the opener, Fairmont snapped a 1-1 tie with two runs in the top of the fifth and added three more over the final two frames to hold WLU at bay. West Liberty brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the bottom of the seventh but couldn't come up with the equalizer.
    Kat Donzella finished a triple shy of the cycle with a single, double and her MEC-leading 14th home run of the season. Haley Collett doubled, singled and drove in a run while Kaitlyn Stress added a pair of base knocks.
    In the second game, Anna Paterson's two-run single put the Hilltoppers ahead to stay, 3-2, in the bottom of the fourth and the hosts tacked on three more insurance tallies in the fifth to put the game out of reach.
    Paterson had two singles to go along with her two RBIs while Allie Cook also had a multi-hit game with a single and a double.
    Bennington, Collett and Kelly Mullins all singled and drove in a run while Katie Beeman doubled as part of a nine-hit attack.
    Riley Bennington got the win with a strong effort out of the bullpen, holding Fairmont State to just one run on three hits over the final 4 1/3 innings.
    West Liberty returns to action on Thursday when the Black and Gold host UVa-Wise in a makeup doubleheader. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at the WLU Softball Complex.