Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - The West Liberty University baseball team dropped both games of a doubleheader at regionally-ranked Shepherd this afternoon. The Rams rallied late to steal an extra inning game in the opener, 4-3, then used a nine-run fifth inning to complete the sweep, 9-4, in game two.

Game 1: WLU (3) - Shepherd (4)  F/8
Trevor Thomas belted a two-run home run in the third inning and the Hilltoppers added one more in the seventh taking a 3-1 lead into the final inning, but WLU could not hang on. 

Freshman Brady Harmon was magnificent through four innings in his first career start, holding the regionally-ranked Rams to no runs and just three hits, while striking out the final batter he faced to finish a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth.

After Harmon was relieved, Shepherd got on the board with a run and were getting set up to tie the game before Jacob Sherman erased the Rams game-tying run on a strike from right field to end the inning and keep the Black and Gold in front 2-1.

West Liberty tacked on a run in the top of the seventh to take a two-run advantage into the bottom half. Ty Helmke doubled to lead off the inning, then WLU loaded the bases with a Sherman bunt single and Thomas walk with no outs. The Rams reliever settled in and escaped only surrendering a one-out sac fly by James Salvatori.

Shepherd took advantage of three errors in the bottom of the seventh by WLU to tie the game and the Hilltoppers twisted a much needed double-play to extend the game.

West Liberty got the leadoff runner on in the eighth, but nothing more. Then, Shepherd's catcher Andrew Edwards ended the game on the first at bat of the bottom of the eighth with a home run in his first at bat of the game.

The Hilltopper offense totaled eight hits, led by Helmke's 2-for-5 effort with a double and Thomas, who finished 1-for-2 with two walks after his early-inning home run. Thomas suffered the loss on the mound for WLU. Just two of Shepherd's four runs were earned.

Game 2: WLU (4) - Shepherd (9)
West Liberty struck first again in game two runs in the third and fifth innings to go up 2-0, before Shepherd took control with a nine-run fifth inning and that would be all the Rams needed.

Kaden Blomquist scored the first run of the game after leading of the top of the third with a walk and pushed around the bases by a Brad Goodyear single and a Ty Helmke RBI ground out.

Goodyear got hit by a pitch with two outs in the fifth and then without getting a hit the Hilltoppers advanced him home after another hit by pitch and walk were followed by a wild pitch.

The Rams sent 13 batters to the plate in the fifth and scored nine runs on five hits, four walks, and a hit by pitch to get all they needed to complete the sweep.

Kayne McGee hit a two-out, two-run single in the top of the seventh, but it was too little to late for the Black and Gold.

The Hilltoppers got another strong start from a freshman in game two, as Tanner Pelaez went 3.0 innings and gave up just one hit, while striking out two in his first career start. Drake Dobson suffered the loss falling to 1-3 on the season.

Up Next
West Liberty will begin conference play on Saturday at West Virginia State with a doubleheader starting at 1 pm.