JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The West Liberty University baseball team swept a non-conference doubleheader from Pitt-Johnstown Saturday afternoon at Point Stadium.
Coach
Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (4-8) handed the Mountain Cats (8-4) a 2-0 shutout loss in the first game before hanging on for a 5-4 win to finish off the sweep.
West Liberty rode the strong right arm of
Luke Nees to victory in the opener as the senior righthander went the distance in firing a four-hit shutout. Nees had three strikeouts and only one walk in an impressive early-season outing.
The Hilltoppers managed only three hits of their own but made the most of them.
Colton Coss delivered the big blow, poking an 0-2 pitch to right field for a 2-run, 2-out single in the top of the fifth to give Nees all the offense he needed.
Bailey McGrath had a single and double to account for WLU's other two hits.
The Black and Gold scored three runs in the second inning of the final game and never relinquished the lead.
Brian Campbell's two-run triple highlighted the three-run second inning and
Chad Matthus helped out with a solo homer to lead off the fourth.
Connor Ferguson's sixth-inning RBI single provided just enough insurance.
Tyler Blomquist worked the first five innings to earn the win, striking out 5 and walking 3.
Jacob Bolander had a pair of strikeouts in hurling a scoreless sixth inning while
Justin Pennybacker surrendered a run in the bottom of the seventh but put out the fire to earn the save.
The teams return to Point Stadium on Sunday to close out the weekend series with another 1 p.m. doubleheader.
BASEBALL
West Liberty 2, Pitt-Johnstown 0
West Liberty 000 020 0 – 2 3 1
Pitt-Johnstown 000 000 0 – 0 4 2
WLU: Nees wp (3SO, 1W) and Rine. McGrath D, S; Coss S, 2rbi
UPJ: Heid lp (7SO, 5W), Briggs (6) (1SO, 0W) and Corl. Broderick D; Bradley D
West Liberty 5, Pitt-Johnstown 4
West Liberty 031 001 0 – 5 6 0
Pitt-Johnstown 012 000 1 – 4 9 1
WLU: Blomquist wp (5SO, 3W), Bolander (6) (2SO, 0W), Pennybacker (7) (0SO, 2W) and Rine. Campbell T, S, 2rbi; Matthus HR, rbi; Ferguson S, rbi
UPJ: Roxby lp (12SO, 3W), Mosholder (6) (0SO, 0W) and Reynolds, Corl (7). Kearns D, S; Smith 2S, rbi; Pugh D, rbi; Broderick S, rbi
