WHEELING, W.Va. – The West Liberty University softball team went on the road Wednesday and swept a doubleheader from Ohio County rival Wheeling at the I-470 Complex.

    Coach Herb Minch's Hilltoppers (9-21, 5-5) never trailed at any point on the afternoon as they handed the Cardinals (6-22, 4-6) back-to-back losses by scores of 6-2 and 5-1.

    The Hilltoppers led wire-to-wire in the opener. Riley Conkle got WLU off to a fast start with an RBI double in the top of the first and West Liberty tacked on two more runs in the third for a 3-0 lead.

    Conkle's RBI triple followed by Sara Simon's second RBI single of the game and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Grace Swigart made it 6-0 Hilltoppers in the top of the fifth and put the game out of reach.

    Madison Angus got the win in the circle, blanking the Cardinals on just three hits over the first five innings. Ashlyn Tapman and Brooke Perri finished up for the Black and Gold.

    Every Hilltopper starter got at least one hit in the second game as WLU pounded out 11 hits in completing the sweep. Leah Alford hurled five scoreless innings to get the win with relief help from Ryleigh Mason. Held to just three singles, Wheeling plated an unearned run with two out in the bottom of the seventh to avoid the shutout.

    Kieran Johnson doubled, singled and drove in a run for WLU while Kayla Mancuso singled twice and scored a pair of runs. Madison Rosnick got the scoring started with a two-run single in the top of the second and Simon also singled and drove in a run.

    The West Liberty softball team returns home this weekend for a pair of crucial North Division doubleheaders. The Hilltoppers welcome Frostburg State to the WLU Softball Complex on Saturday with Fairmont State coming to town on Sunday. Saturday's doubleheader is set for a 2 p.m. start with Sunday's getting under way at 1 p.m.

SOFTBALL

West Liberty 6, Wheeling 2

West Liberty             102 030 0 - 6  8  0

Wheeling                   000 002 0 - 2  6  3

     WLU: Angus wp (0SO, 1W), Tapman (6) (0SO, 0W), Perri (6) (0SO, 0W) and Holbrook. Conkle T, D, 2rbi; Simon 2S, 2rbi

     WU: Anderson lp (2SO, 2W), Bumbico (5) (1SO, 0W) and Munoz. Munoz D, S; George D

West Liberty 5, Wheeling 1

West Liberty             021 020 0 - 5  11  1

Wheeling                   000 000 1 - 1    3  1

     WLU: Alford wp (2SO, 0W), Morgan (6) (0SO, 0W) and M.Blair. K.Johnson D, S, rbi; Mancuso 2S; Rosnick S, 2rbi; Simon S, rbi

     WU: Holder lp (8SO, 1W) and Munoz.