PHILIPPI, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team split a Mountain East Conference doubleheader with Alderson Broaddus here Saturday afternoon at Jack Funk Field.

    The host Battlers (10-25, 4-16) outslugged Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (14-23, 9-11) by a 12-8 margin in the first game but West Liberty bounced back with a 5-1 win in the finale.

    In the opener, the Hilltoppers outhit the hosts by a 12-10 margin but it wasn't enough as Alderson Broaddus posted back-to-back 3-run innings in the fourth and fifth frames to take what proved to be an insurmountable 12-6 lead.

    Will Balgo drove in two runs with a home run and a single for WLU while Ryan Talbert and James Salvatori each contributed a double and a single to the cause. Jake Sherman had two singles and an RBI, Kayne McGee doubled home a run and Noah Mildren and Garrett Scott each checked in with a single and an RBI.

    West Liberty rode a strong pitching performance from Ethan Conley to victory in the second game. Conley held AB to one run on six hits over the first six innings to get the win with Trevor Thomas working the seventh inning to close things out.

    The Hilltoppers kept the bats going, pounding out 10 more hits with four players enjoying multi-hit games. Balgo and Zach Hawkins each homered, singled and drove in a run while McGee added two singles and an RBI and Ty Helmke stroked out a pair of singles and scored a run. Talbert added a two-run double and Mildren brought home the final run of the game with an RBI single in the top of the seventh.

    West Liberty returns home next weekend for a crucial MEC North Division series against Notre Dame. The Hilltoppers will host the Falcons in back-to-back doubleheaders on April 22-23.

BASEBALL

Alderson Broaddus 12, West Liberty 8

West Liberty                103 200 2 -   8  12  3

Alderson Broaddus    140 330 0 - 12  10  1

     WLU: Dobson (5SO, 4W), Winter lp (3) (0SO, 1W), Graebe (5) (3SO, 2W), Geis (6) (0SO, 0W), Cerjan (0SO, 0W) and Goodyear. Balgo HR, S, 2rbi; Talbert D, S, rbi; Salvatori D, S; Sherman 2S, rbi; McGee D, rbi; Mildren S, rbi; Scott S, rbi

     AB: Roman wp (5SO, 4W), Derocher (5) (4SO, 1W) and Marinucci. Sheets HR, S, 3rbi; Rosado D, 2S, rbi; Rodriguez D, 2rbi; Rush S, 2rbi; Ballenger S, rbi

West Liberty 6, Alderson Broaddus 1

West Liberty                  131 000 1 - 6  10  2

Alderson Broaddus       010 000 0 - 1    7  1

     WLU: Conley wp (2SO, 1W), Thomas (7) (0SO, 0W) and Z.Hawkins. Z.Hawkins HR, S, rbi; Balgo HR, S, rbi; McGee 2S, rbi; Helmke 2S; Talbert D, 2rbi; Mildren S, rbi

     AB: Ballenger lp (5SO, 3W) and Marinucci. Bell D, S; Rodriguez S, rbi; Rosado D