SALEM, Va. – West Liberty University's "Killer Bs" stung West Virginia State here Saturday, propelling the WLU softball team into the championship finals of the Mountain East Conference Tournament at the James I. Moyer Complex.
    Katie Beeman launched a pair of home runs – including a clutch 2-out, 2-strike, 2-run blast in the top of the seventh – and Taylor Bonnett shut down the defending tournament champion Yellow Jackets on three hits over the final six innings of a thrilling 6-5 Hilltopper win.
    The only unbeaten team remaining in the double-elimination event, West Liberty will play for the MEC Tournament championship on Sunday against Concord (38-18). The Mountain Lions, ranked No. 6 in the Atlantic Region, outlasted West Virginia State, 7-4, in a rain-delayed 8-inning marathon that didn't end until well after 9 p.m.
    Sunday's championship round is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start, weather permitting.
    Coach Herb Minch's Hilltoppers (35-17), ranked No. 4 in the Atlantic Region, got past Fairmont State by a 4-1 score on Saturday morning while the Yellow Jackets (33-13), ranked No. 1 in the region, pulled out a 4-3 extra-inning win against Charleston to set up their winner's bracket showdown.
    West Liberty drew first blood with a 2-out RBI single by Beeman in the top of the first but WVSU exploded for four runs in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by a 3-run circuit blast off the bat of Emma Ruth.
    Zoey Carte pushed the lead to 5-1 with an RBI double in the top of the second, putting runners at second and third, but Bonnett retired the next two batters in order to limit the damage.
    Back-to-back doubles by Kat Donzella and Sydney Bennington pulled WLU a run closer, 5-2, in the top of the third and Beeman jerked a 2-out, 2-run home run over the right field wall in the fifth to make it 5-4.
    Yellow Jacket ace Emma Thompson - last year's MEC Tournament MVP - came on in relief to hurl a scoreless sixth inning but Bonnett needed only six pitches to retire State in order in the bottom of the frame, sending Thompson right back to the circle.
    With one out, Donzella was hit in the arm on a 3-2 pitch to put the tying run on base but Thompson got the next hitter on an infield popup to bring Beeman to the plate.
    Thompson got two strikes on the sophomore centerfielder but got a bit too much of the plate on a 2-2 pitch and Beeman smoked a rising line drive into the left centerfield gap that carried well over the fence and into the trees as the Lady Hilltoppers came pouring out of the dugout.
    Bonnett finished off the win in style, setting the Yellow Jackets down in order for the second straight frame and wrapping things up with a strikeout of Emily Moore for the game's final out.
    Beeman was 4-for-4 with two home runs and five of West Liberty's six RBIs. Kaitlyn Stress also had a multi-hit game with a pair of singles as the Black and Gold finished with 10 hits.
    Bonnett got the win in her longest outing of the season, striking out six without walking a batter while holding the high-powered State offense to just three hits over the last six innings.
    In the morning game against Fairmont State, Donzella clubbed a 2-run home run and Bonnett blanked the Falcons over the final two innings to earn her third save of the season.
    Fairmont State drew first blood with a 2-out RBI single off the bat of Courtney Worcester in the top of the first but the Hilltoppers responded with some 2-out lightning of their own.
    With one on and two out in the bottom of the first, Sydney Bennington and Beeman connected on back-to-back singles to load the bases. Haley Collett then blooped a short fly ball into no man's land behind second base for a 2-run single and WLU had a 2-1 lead.
    Makenzie Amend returned to the circle for the first time in three weeks after being shut down due to injury and pitched the first two innings before Riley Bennington came on to start the third.
    The freshman righthander worked her way out of several jams to keep the Falcons off the board through the next three frames. Donzella provided some much-needed breathing room in the bottom of the fifth with a 2-run rocket into the trees behind the left field fence.
    Minch sent Bonnett to the circle after Fairmont got the first two runners on base in the top of the sixth and the freshman slammed the door. Bonnett retired the next two batters before issuing a walk to load the bases and struck out the next hitter to end the threat.
    West Liberty went down in order in the bottom of the sixth but Bonnett struck out the side in the top of the seventh to seal the win.
    Donzella led the WLU attack with a double, home run and two RBIs. Allie Cook and Kate Meloun also had a pair of hits as the Hilltoppers advanced to the winner's bracket final.