INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team opened its Mountain East Conference slate here Saturday afternoon by splitting a doubleheader against West Virginia State at a brisk and breezy Cal Bailey Field.
    Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (5-11, 1-1) came from behind for a 6-5 win in the first game only to see the host Yellowjackets (6-7, 1-1) return the favor, riding a late rally to a 3-2 win in the finale.
    West Liberty stormed back from a 5-0 deficit to take the opener. After surrendering four runs in the bottom of the first, Justin Pennybacker gave up only one more run while pitching into the seventh to earn the win.
    Trevor Thomas got the last three outs for the save after snapping a 5-5 tie in the top of the seventh with a one-out solo blast over the left-centerfield wall.
    State took a 5-0 lead into the fifth inning only to see WLU push four runs across the plate to get back in the game. A 3-run home run by Garrett Scott highlighted the uprising and Kayne McGee's sacrifice fly cut the margin to 5-4.
    West Liberty tied it with some two-out lightning in the sixth inning. Noah Mildren worked a two-out walk and stole second to get into scoring position. Brad Goodyear's run-scoring single knotted the score, setting the stage for Thomas' seventh-inning heroics.
    Ian Brady was a hard-luck loser for WLU in the nightcap, as he and Yellowjacket starter Nick Loftis each fired complete-game 3-hitters.
    West Liberty took a 2-0 lead in the third when Goodyear launched a two-run home run to left, scoring Scott who had reached base on an error to start the inning. Loftis settled in after that, holding the Hilltoppers to just two singles the rest of the way.
    Brady carried a one-hit shutout into the bottom of the sixth. He retired the first two batters on infield grounders but a walk and a single put runners on the corners for Connor Fizer. The State DH found a pitch to his liking and launched it over the centerfield wall for what proved to be the game-winning blow.
    It was announced late Saturday night that Sunday's scheduled doubleheader at the University of Charleston has been postponed until Monday at 1 p.m.
 

BASEBALL
West Liberty 6, W.Va. State 5

West Liberty            000 041 1 - 6  8  2
W.Va. State              400 100 0 - 5  7  0
     WLU: Pennybacker wp (6SO, 4W), Thomas (7) (0SO, 0W) and Hawkins. Scott HR, 3rbi; Thomas HR, rbi; Goodyear S, rbi; Helmke D; Salvatori D; McGee rbi
     WVS: Bryant (6SO, 1W), Baumgardner (5) (0SO, 2W), Conis lp (5) (4SO, 3W), Carey (7) (0SO, 0W) and Overaitis. Overaitis 2S, rbi; Kay HR, 2rbi; Huber D, rbi
 

W.Va. State 3, West Liberty 2

West Liberty            002 000 0 - 2  3  0
W.Va. State              000 003 x - 3  3  1
     WLU: Brady lp (3SO, 2W) and Goodyear. Goodyear HR, 2rbi
     WVS: Loftis wp (5SO, 1W) and Overaitis. Fizer HR, 3rbi