CLARKSBURG, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team came up big with its best offensive game of the season here Friday to salvage a split of its Mountain East Conference doubleheader with Davis & Elkins at Frank Loria Field.
    After dropping a tough 3-2 decision in the opener, Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (2-17, 2-4) bounced back with a season-high 10 runs in the second game, outslugging the Senators (4-14, 1-5) by a 10-7 score to earn the split.
    Ryan Talbert paced a 12-hit barrage for the Black and Gold, driving in three runs with a double and two singles. Kayne McGee lashed out a double and single to plate a pair of runs while Brad Goodyear also picked up an RBI with a double and single.
    Connor Ferguson singled twice and drove in a run while Ty Helmke and Zach Hawkins each had RBI singles and Kaden Blomquist doubled and scored a run.
    Justin Studd worked the first four innings on the mound to get the win, striking out 7 and walking 2. Drake Dobson earned the save with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief, fanning 5 of the 8 batters he faced.
    In the opener, Cole Hitch's two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth gave the Senators the come-from-behind win. Hitch's blast made a hard-luck loser of Hilltopper starter Justin Pennybacker, who had held D&E to five singles and an unearned run through the first five frames.
    West Liberty grabbed an early 1-0 lead when Talbert led off the game with a double and scored on Helmke's RBI single up the middle. The Hilltoppers loaded the bases with none out in the top of the fourth but Ethan Conley's sacrifice fly scored the only run of the inning.
    Zach McGillan got the complete-game win for the Senators, striking out 9 and giving up 7 hits without walking a batter.
    Weather permitting, West Liberty heads to West Virginia Wesleyan on Sunday for another MEC twinbill. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. in Buckhannon.
  West Liberty                          100 100 0 - 2  7  1
Davis & Elkins                        001 002 0 - 3  6  3
     WLU: Pennybacker lp (5SO, 2W) and Rine. Helmke S, rbi; Conley S, rbi; Talbert D
     D&E: McGillan (9SO, 0W) and Hitch. Cole Hitch HR, 2rbi
  West Liberty                          216 001 0 - 10  12  1
Davis & Elkins                        000 340 0 -   7    9  1
     WLU: Studd wp (6SO, 1W), Bolander (5) (1SO, 1W), Dobson (5) (5SO, 0W) and Z.Hawkins. Talbert D, 2S, 3rbi; McGee D, S, 2rbi; Goodyear D, S, rbi; Ferguson 2S, rbi; Helmke S, rbi; Z.Hawkins S, rbi; Blomquist D
     D&E: Brenneman lp (1SO, 4W), Spearman (3) (0SO, 0W), Texeira (4) (0SO, 0W), DeGrood (6) (1SO, 0W) and Hitch. Hitch D, S; Kusan 2S, 2rbi; Diaz HR, 3rbi; Hindman S, rbi; Laney S, rbi