ATHENS, W.Va. – The West Liberty University softball team split a Mountain East Conference doubleheader at Concord on Saturday afternoon.
Coach Herb Minch's Hilltoppers (11-27, 7-11) fell short in a 13-5 slugfest in the first game but used a strong pitching performance to hand the Mountain Lions (14-25, 5-13) a 1-0 loss in the finale.
Freshman Madison Angus hurled a six-hit shutout to lead West Liberty in the second game. The former Weir (W.Va.) High standout earned her first collegiate shutout by scattering six hits and striking out two without walking a batter.
The Hilltoppers scored the only run of the game without benefit of a hit in the top of the fifth. Savannah Holbrook worked a walk to open the inning and was sacrificed to second by Madge Weidner. Kayla Mancuso reached first on an infield grounder when the Mountain Lions made an unsuccessful play on Holbrook advancing to third, putting runners on the corner with one out.
Mancuso was thrown out trying to steal second but Holbrook beat the return throw home to score what proved to be the game-winning run.
In the opener, West Liberty scored five runs in the top of the second to take a 5-4 lead but Concord responded with eight runs in the bottom of the inning and never looked back.
Sara Simon had two singles and an RBI for the Hilltoppers while Mancuso doubled home a pair of runs.
The West Liberty softball team returns to the friendly confines of the WLU Softball Complex on Wednesday for a 3 p.m. doubleheader against Ohio County rival Wheeling.
SOFTBALL
Concord 13, West Liberty 5
West Liberty 050 00 - 5 4 4
Concord 480 1x - 13 12 2
WLU: Alford lp (0SO, 1W), Perri (0SO, 2W) and M.Blair. Simon 2S, rbi; Mancuso D, 2rbi
Con: Roberts wp (3SO, 3W) and Gleason. Stacy HR, T, D, S, 3rbi; Lewis 3S, rbi; Gleason 2S; Privett D, 2rbi; Koller S, rbi; Cline S, rbi
West Liberty 1, Concord 0
West Liberty 000 010 0 - 1 4 0
Concord 000 000 0 - 0 6 0
WLU: Angus wp (2SO, 0W) and Holbrook.
Con: Koller lp (4SO, 2W) and Gleason. Stacy 2S; Gleason D
