WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team broke out the brooms here Sunday afternoon, sweeping a Mountain East Conference doubleheader from Davis & Elkins at sun-splashed Kovalick Field.

    Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (7-13, 3-3) handed the Senators (4-15, 3-3) a 4-1 loss in the opener and hammered their way to a 10-3 win in the finale.

    In the opener, Justin Pennybacker went the distance on the hill for a complete-game win. Pennybacker whiffed 13 D&E hitters while walking just two and holding the visitors to just one earned run in his route-going performance.

    Trevor Thomas put West Liberty ahead to stay with a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the sixth and the Hilltoppers tacked on two more insurance tallies to give Pennybacker a bit more breathing room when he returned to the mound to get the final three outs.

    Garrett Scott doubled in West Liberty's first run in the bottom of the second.

    After spotting Davis & Elkins a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, the WLU bats went to work in the bottom of the second.

    Jake Sherman's 3-run double keyed a 5-run rally that put the hosts ahead to stay. West Liberty added a single run in the fourth and four more in the fifth to win going away.

    Ian Brady worked the first six innings to earn the win, striking out five and walking just one. Sherman doubled home another run later in the game to give him two doubles and four RBIs. Ryan Talbert doubled, singled and chased home a run while Brad Goodyear singled twice. Ty Helmke added a 2-run home run, Will Balgo had a 2-run single and Scott also delivered a run-scoring base knock.

    West Liberty will be back in action on Monday afternoon when the Hilltoppers host W.Va.Wesleyan in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Kovalick FIeld.

BASEBALL

West Liberty 4, Davis & Elkins 1

Davis & Elkins     010 000 0 - 1  8  3

West Liberty       010 003 x - 4  5  3

     DE: McGillan (5SO, 1W), Sechler lp (6) (0SO, 0W) and Hitch. Hyde 3S; Athey D; Hindman D

     WLU: Pennybacker wp (13SO, 2W) and Hawkins. Thomas HR, rbi; Scott D, rbi

West Liberty 10, Davis & Elkins 3

Davis & Elkins 201 000 0 -   3    9  2

West Liberty   050 140 x - 10  12  3

     DE: Colon lp (2SO, 2W), McCourt (5) (0SO, 1W) and Hitch, Amodeo. Hitch HR, S, rbi; Hindman 2S; Johnson 2S; Myford S, rbi

     WLU: Brady wp (5SO, 1W), Graebe (7) (0SO, 0W) and Goodyear. Sherman 2D, 4rbi; Talbert D, S, rbi; Goodyear 2S; Helmke HR, 2rbi; Balgo S, 2rbi; Scott S, rbi