BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team took over sole possession of second place in the Mountain East Conference North Division standings here Thursday with a doubleheader sweep of Fairmont State.

    Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (19-25, 14-12) pulled out a thrilling 4-3 win in the first game before hammering their way to a 12-6 victory against the host Falcons (10-32, 9-17).

    In the opener, Zach Hawkins crushed a two-run home run over the left field fence in the top of the seventh to give West Liberty the come-from-behind win.

    Hawkins' game-winning blast was one of only three hits for WLU in the contest. Fortunately, one of those hits was another two-run homer off the bat of Will Balgo in the top of the sixth that put the visitors within striking distance.

    Justin Pennybacker worked the first six innings to get the win with Drake Dobson coming on in the seventh to pick up the save.

    The Hilltoppers got the bats going in the second game, pounding out 14 hits and relying once again on the long ball to pull away down the stretch. Trailing 5-4 in the top of the fourth, West Liberty scored five runs – highlighted by Ryan Talbert's two-run homer – to take the lead for good.

    Brad Goodyear helped lead the way at the plate with a double, two singles and an RBI. Talbert had two RBIs on a double and the home run while Kayne McGee chased home three runs with a home run and a single. 

    James Salvatori singled twice and drove in a pair of runs, Balgo added two more singles and an RBI and Trevor Thomas joined the multi-hit parade with a pair of base knocks.

BASEBALL

West Liberty 4, Fairmont State 3

West Liberty                     000 002 2 - 4  3  1

Fairmon State                  003 000 0 - 3  5  0

     WLU: Pennybacker wp (8SO, 5W), Dobson (7) (0SO, 0W) and Z.Hawkins. Hawkins HR, 2rbi; Balgo HR, 2rbi

     FSU: Cramer lp (5SO, 3W) and Haskins. Canterbury HR, 2rbi; Tennant D, rbi; Sabatino D

West Liberty 12, Fairmont State 7

West Liberty                031 510 2 - 12  14  3

Fairmont State            023 000 2 -   7  13  2

     WLU: Brady (1SO, 1W), Clark wp (4) (2SO, 3W), Graebe (6) (1SO, 2W) and Goodyear. Goodyear D, 2S, rbi; Talbert HR, D, 2rbi; McGee HR, S, 3rbi; Salvatori 2S, 2rbi; Balgo 2S, rbi; Thomas 2S

     FSU: McClure lp (2SO, 1W), Seymour (4) (0SO, 0W), McDade (7) (2SO, 0W) and Sikoski. Miller D, S, rbi; Canterbury 2S, 2rbi; Armstrong 2S; Goff 2S; Perez HR, rbi