WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The University of Charleston pounded out 36 hits and scored 37 runs here Sunday as the Mountain East Conference South Division leaders swept an MEC doubleheader from West Liberty at Kovalick Field.
The Golden Eagles (19-8, 11-1) handed Coach
Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (5-22, 5-7) a 17-5 setback in the first game before cruising to a 20-3 win in the finale, which was halted by darkness after six innings.
In the opener, Charleston jumped on WLU for four runs in the top of the first and added five more in the second to put the game out of reach in a hurry. The visitors went on to score at least one run in every inning, pounding out 21 hits in the runaway win.
Connor Ferguson doubled and singled for the Black and Gold while
Isaac Rine had a two-run single.
Brad Goodyear and Jake Sherman each singled and drove in a run.
Charleston scored in every inning but the first in the second game, highlighted by a 9-run uprising in the top of the fifth, to cruise to its sixth straight win.
James Salvatori helped West Liberty avoid the shutout by launching a 3-run home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the fifth.
The Hilltoppers head to Washington, Pa. on Wednesday for a scheduled 9-inning non-conference game against California (Pa.). First pitch is set for noon at Wild Things Park.
BASEBALL
Charleston 17, West Liberty 5
Charleston 452 221 1 - 17 21 0
West Liberty 200 003 0 - 5 7 3
UC: Webb wp (4SO, 3W), Popplewel (5) (2SO, 4W), Kanagy (6) (5SO, 0W) and Dellerman. West D, 3S, 5rbi; Zuccaro HR, D, 4rbi; Chartier 2D, rbi; Bailey D, S; Dellerman 2S, rbi; Costigan 2S, rbi; Klasener 2S; McCallister S, rbi; Finck D
WLU: Grimm lp (3SO, 2W), Sinisgalli (2) (0SO, 1W), Cerjan (4) (0SO, 0W), Hurst (5) (1SO, 1W), Clark (6) (1SO, 1W, Phillips (7) (0SO, 0W) and Rine. Ferguson D, S; Probst D, rbi; Rine S, 2rbi; Goodyear S, rbi; Sherman S, rbi
Charleston 20, West Liberty 3
(game called due to darkness)
Charleston 015 491 - 20 15 2
West Liberty 000 030 - 3 3 3
UC: MacNeil wp (5SO, 2W), Spradling (5) (4SO, 1W) and Dellerman. Boddorf 3S, 2rbi; Zuccaro HR, D, 3rbi; West D, S, 2rbi; Dellerman 2S, 4rbi; Reisenweber 2S, 2rbi; Chartier D, rbi; Costigan S, 2rbi; Hale S, rbi
WLU: Brady lp (2SO, 2W), Aulick (4) (2SO, 1W), Geis (5) (1SO, 0W), Dobson (6) (3SO, 0W) and Goodyear. J.Salvatori HR, 3rbi
