WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women's softball team split a Mountain East Conference doubleheader with Notre Dame (Ohio) Saturday afternoon at the WLU Softball Complex.
After being blanked, 2-0, in the first game, Coach
Herb Minch's Hilltoppers (5-5, 1-1) rebounded to hand the Falcons a 4-1 setback in the finale.
In the opener, Notre Dame (4-6, 1-1) scratched out single tallies in the fourth and sixth frames and Falcon ace Taylor Olson held the Hilltoppers to three harmless singles to earn the shutout win.
Olson had three strikeouts and issued two walks while not allowing a WLU runner past second base in her complete-game gem.
Annie Paterson, who had two of West Liberty's three hits, took the hard-luck loss despite giving up only one run and striking out nine Notre Dame batters in five solid innings.
The Hilltoppers got a strong pitching performance from
Riley Bennington in the second game to salvage the split. Bennington blanked the Falcons on just three hits through the first three innings while striking out eight to earn the win.
Kat Donzella doubled home a run in the bottom of the third and scored on a
Katie Beeman RBI single to provide more than enough offensive support.
Donzella had a single, double and RBI while Beeman finished with two singles and an RBI.
Allie Cook and
Haley Collett each singled and drove in a run.
The WLU women head to Philippi on Sunday for a 1 p.m. twinbill against Alderson Broaddus.
SOFTBALL
Notre Dame (Ohio) 2, West Liberty 0
Notre Dame (Ohio) 000 101 0 – 2 6 0
West Liberty 000 000 0 – 0 3 2
NDC: Olson wp (3SO, 2W) and Fording. Marsh S, rbi; Rivera D
WLU: Paterson lp (9SO, 2W), Bonnett (6) (0SO, 2W), Amend (7) (1SO, 0W) and Donzella. Paterson 2S
West Liberty 4, Notre Dame (Ohio) 1
Notre Dame (Ohio) 000 000 1 – 1 5 0
West Liberty 002 101 x – 4 9 1
NDC: Zigmont lp (1SO, 2W), Vance (4) (1SO, 1W) and Fording. Maciejowski D, rbi
WLU: Bennington wp (8SO, 3W), Amend (7) (2SO, 1W) and Donzella. Donzella D, S, rbi; Beeman 2S, rbi; Cook S, rbi; Collett S, rbi
