PHILIPPI, W.Va. – The West Liberty University softball team swept a Mountain East Conference doubleheader from Alderson Broaddus here Friday afternoon at Philippi City Park.
    Coach Herb Minch's Hilltoppers (29-19-1, 19-10) got a one-hit shutout from senior ace Makenzie Amend in the first game for an 8-0 mercy rule win before handing the Battlers (18-34, 4-25) a 6-3 loss in the finale to complete the sweep.
    In the opener, Amend did it all in the circle and at the plate. The returning All-American carried a perfect game into the top of the fifth only to see A-B's Cortney Davis break it up with a one-out double to left center. That was all the Battlers got, however, as Amend got the next two outs to finish off the one-hit shutout, striking out seven and not walking a batter.
    Amend had twice as many hits as Alderson Broaddus, singling twice and chasing home a pair of runs. Sidney Little's three-run home run highlighted a five-run second inning for WLU and Jairika Baylor's solo blast in the top of the fifth brought the 8-run "mercy rule" into play. Riley Conkle and McKayla Danner also singled and drove in a run.
    In the second game, the Hilltoppers scored three runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back in cruising to their 29th win of the season.
    Annie Paterson hurled the first six innings to get the win and helped herself at the plate with two singles and an RBI. Lauren Garcia also rapped out a pair of singles while Kayla Mancuso singled and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Little doubled and scored a run in the top of the second.
    West Liberty heads to Notre Dame (Ohio) on Saturday for another MEC twinbill. Game One is set for a 1 p.m. start in South Euclid, Ohio.
  West Liberty                          052 01 - 8  8  0
Alderson Broaddus              000 00 - 0  1  0
     WLU: Amend wp (6SO, 0W) and M.Blair. Amend 2S, 2rbi; Little HR, 3rbi; Baylor HR, rbi; Conkle S, rbi; Danner S, rbi
     AB: Uncapher lp (0SO, 0W), Soblit (2) (2SO, 2W) and Cross. Fizer D
  West Liberty                          310 011 0 - 6  6  0
Alderson Broaddus              020 010 0 - 3  7  2
     WLU; Paterson wp (4SO, 3W), Bonnett (7) (0SO, 0W) and M.Blair, Grace (3). Paterson 2S, rbi; Garcia 2S; Mancuso S, rbi; Little D
     AB: Corley lp (3SO, 1W), Winkler (5) (0SO, 4W) and Gerland, Barlage (3). Unzueta 2S, 2rbi; Sersevic 2S, rbi