Softball | 3/8/2020 1:08:00 PM

    DAVIE, Fla. – Makenzie Amend just missed a no-hit bid as the West Liberty University softball team opened its southern swing with a doubleheader sweep of Queens (N.Y.) on the campus of Nova Southeastern University.
    Coach Herb Minch's Hilltoppers (6-3) rode Amend's strong right arm to a 4-0 shutout of the winless Knights (0-8) in the opener before pounding out an 11-2 5-inning mercy rule triumph in the nightcap.
    Amend carried her no-hitter into the top of the seventh inning only to see Queens' Jessica Hickey play the role of spoiler by legging out an infield single to lead off the inning. Amend retired the next three batters in order to complete the gem, finishing off a one-hitter with seven strikeouts and three walks.
    West Liberty scored all of its runs in the bottom of the second with a two-run triple off the bat of Haley Collett highlighting the uprising. Kate Meloun had a pair of singles and Allie Cook chipped in with a sacrifice fly.
    The Hilltopper bats broke things open early in the second game, batting around in the top of the first to push six runs across the plate and never looking back.
    A trio of WLU hurlers turned in another dominating performance in the circle. Lauren Garcia worked the first three innings, striking out six and walking one, with Taylor Bonnett and Annie Paterson tossing the fourth and fifth frames, respectively.
    Queens' only runs came in the bottom of the third when three consecutive WLU errors gave the New York squad a pair of unearned tallies. The Knights' lone hit was an infield single by Emma Wimmer in the bottom of the fifth.
    West Liberty pounded out 11 hits in the finale. Katie Beeman drove in two runs with a pair of doubles while Laral Saunders added two singles and two RBIs. Garcia and Katie Mullins each had a pair of singles and drove in a run while Kat Donzella doubled and tripled.
    The Hilltoppers return to the Nova Southeastern diamond on Sunday afternoon for a 1 p.m. doubleheader against the host Sharks.
  Queens (N.Y.)                                    000 000 0 – 0  1  3
West Liberty                                       040 000 x – 4  5  2
     QC: Wimmer lp (4SO, 2W) and Gallagher. Hickey S
     WLU: Amend wp (7SO, 3W) and Donzella. K.Meloun 2S; Collett T, 2rbi; Cook rbi
  West Liberty                                       600 32 – 11 11 3
Queens (N.Y.)                                    002 00 –   2   1  4
     WLU: Garcia wp (5SO, 1W), Bonnett (4) (1SO, 0W), Paterson (5) (1SO, 0W) and A.Meloun. Beeman 2D, 2rbi; Saunders 2S, 2rbi; Garcia 2S, rbi; Mullins 2S, rbi; Donzella T, D
     QC: Stanya lp (4SO, 5W) and Hickey. Wimmer S