WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – Annie Paterson and Makenzie Amend teamed up on a no-hitter and the surging West Liberty softball team ran its winning streak to eight straight games with a doubleheader sweep of Alderson Broaddus here Sunday at the WLU Softball Complex.
    Coach Herb Minch's two-time defending Mountain East Conference champions (12-8, 2-0) opened the twinbill with a 7-0 win on the combined no-hitter and came back to hand the Battlers (5-11, 0-2) a 5-2 loss in the finale.
    Paterson worked the first six innings of no-hit ball to earn the win in the first game, striking out 7 and walking just one before handing the ball to Amend, who struck out the side in the seventh to complete the gem.
    Paterson helped her own cause at the plate with a two-run homer and a single. Grace Swigart also launched a two-run circuit blast and added a single for a multi-hit game. Katelynn Blair chimed in with a solo shot and Jairika Baylor contributed a run-scoring triple.
    Alderson Broaddus took a 2-1 lead into the fifth inning of the second game but that's when the WLU bats rumbled to life.
    Beeman got things started with a two-run double and came trotting home to score on an RBI two-bagger from Paterson. Swigart capped the inning with an RBI single for a 5-2 West Liberty lead.
    Taylor Bonnett came on in relief of winning pitcher Riley Bennington in the sixth and earned the save with two scoreless innings.
    Kieran Johnson had two hits and drove in a run to put the Black and Gold on the board in the bottom of the fourth.
    The Hilltoppers return to the WLU Softball Complex on Monday for another MEC doubleheader against Notre Dame (Ohio). First pitch is set for noon.
  Alderson Broaddus         000 000 0 – 0    0  0
West Liberty                     010 213 x – 7  10  0
     AB: Uncapher lp (1SO, 2W), Soblit (6) (0SO, 0W) and Cross
     WLU: Paterson wp (7SO, 1W), Amend (7) (3SO, 0W) and M.Blair. Paterson HR, S, 2rbi; Swigart HR, S, 2rbi; K.Blair HR, rbi; Baylor T, rbi
  Alderson Broaddus         010 100 0 – 2  8  1
West Liberty                     000 140 x – 5  8  1
     AB: Kennealy lp (4SO, 3W), Soblit (5) (0SO, 0W), Uncapher (5) (2SO, 0W) and Gerland. Unzueta 2S; Gerland HR, rbi; Barr D
     WLU: Bennington wp (8SO, 0W), Bonnett (6) (1SO, 1W) and Holbrook. Johnson 2S, rbi; Beeman D, 2rbi; Paterson D, rbi; Swigart S, rbi