Mount Olive, N.C. – The West Liberty University softball team fell in their first two match-ups of the 2024 season on Saturday as they dropped a 15-1 decision to USC Beaufort and then a 4-1 contest to the hosts Mount Olive. The Hilltoppers, who managed only one hit in the opening game saw the bats out-hit UMO with five in game two as Madison Angus also held the Trojans to only a pair of hits in a complete game.

QUICK DETAILS – GAME 1
Final Score: West Liberty 1, USC Beaufort 15 (5 innings)
Team Records: West Liberty 0-1, USC Beaufort 8-1
Attendance: 53
Pitching Decision: Win: Cassie Brundage (4-0), Loss: Kadence Pettit (0-1)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• USC Beaufort started the scoring early as they quickly built up a 6-0 lead after the top of the first inning. All six of the Sand Sharks' runs were unearned, as five errors proved costly for West Liberty. Kadence Pettit was able to shut down the inning and leave a USCB baserunner stranded on second as she sent the final batter down swinging.
• West Liberty's lone hit of the game came in their very first at-bat as Sydney Johnson started the bottom of the first inning with a double to left field and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Johnson crossed the plate as Caroline Woody reached on a fielding error by the second baseman. Woody was unable to advance and was left stranded as the next three batters went down in order on a fly out and a pair of strikeouts swinging.
• After the Hilltoppers forced a ground out and line out in the first two at-bats of the top of the second, USC Beaufort capitalized on a double and a triple as well as a fielding error to add three more unearned runs to extend their lead to 9-1.
• Ashlyn Tapman entered in the top of the third and immediately made an impact as she led a 3-up, 3-down inning as she forced a pair of fly outs and sent one batter down swinging.
• The Hilltoppers left one runner stranded in both the second and third innings as Breena Grace and Woody drew walks to reach base.
• A leadoff double for the Sand Sharks set up a 2-run homerun to left field to push their lead to 11-1 in the top of the fourth, however the WLU defense got out of a bases loaded situation as Mallory Rosnick fielded a grounder and beat the runner to first to end the inning.
• Tapman drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fourth on a full count but was left stranded as the next three batters went down in order.
• USCB pushed across three more runs in the top of the fifth with an RBI single and a 3-run homerun to left field to make it a 15-1 ball game prior to a pair of fly outs to end the frame.
• Olivia Munoz drew the fourth walk of the game for the Black & Gold to leadoff the bottom of the fifth however she was left stranded on base as the next three batters once again went down in order as the game ended in run rule.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 1
Sydney Johnson: 1-for-2, 1 double, 1 run
Kadence Pettit: 2.0 innings pitched, 0 earned runs allowed
 
QUICK DETAILS – GAME 2
Final Score: West Liberty 1, Mount Olive 4
Team Records: West Liberty 0-2, Mount Olive 10-2
Attendance: 64
Pitching Decision: Win: Bri Verme (2-0), Loss: Madison Angus (0-1)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• After West Liberty went down in order in the top of the first, Mount Olive capitalized on a leadoff walk in the bottom half of the frame with an RBI double to right center to take a 1-0 lead.
• Ashlyn Tapman notched the first hit of the game for the Hilltoppers with a leadoff single up the middle and advanced to third with a throwing error and hit-by-pitch, however the inning came to an end on a strikeout.
• Starting in the bottom of the second the teams became locked in a pitchers dual as Tapman did not allow a Trojan hit for three innings until the bottom of the fifth, while the Hilltoppers only tallied a pair of hits as Mallory Rosnick hit a single up the middle in the top of the third and Sydney Johnson knocked a single down the left field line in the top of the fifth.
• UMO extended their lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth with runs scored on a fielder's choice, a sacrifice fly, and a fielding error.
• Tapman posted her second hit of the game with a single to left center in the top of the sixth and then had Paytyn Tucker enter to pinch run for her. After a pop up to shortstop, Tucker stole second with two outs and then advanced to third as Jaden Conrad singled to shortstop to put runners at the corners. While Olivia Munoz was up to bat Conrad got caught in a run down between first and second which allowed for Tucker to score from third and plate WLU's lone run of the contest to cut the deficit to 4-1.
• Both teams went 3-up, 3-down in their final plate appearances in the bottom of the sixth (UMO) and top of the seventh (WLU).

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 2
Ashlyn Tapman: 2-for-3
Paytyn Tucker: 1 stolen base, 1 run
Madison Angus: 6.0 innings pitched, 2 hits allowed, 2 earned runs, allowed, 3 strikeouts
 
UP NEXT
West Liberty will be in action for another doubleheader tomorrow afternoon as they are set to face USC Beaufort and Mount Olive one final time to conclude their first trip south for the season. The Hilltoppers open the day at 1 p.m. tomorrow afternoon against the Sand Sharks and then end the day with a 3 p.m. contest with the Trojans at the Nancy Chapman Cassell Field in Mount Olive, North Carolina.