West Liberty, W.Va. – The West Liberty University softball team faced the task of welcoming No. 8 Indianapolis to the hilltop for their first two games of the 2024 season at the Hilltopper Softball Complex and were unable to complete the upset as they fell to the Greyhounds by scores of 10-0 (6 Inn.) and 7-2 on Friday afternoon. The Hilltoppers only managed to notch a total of six hits in the two contests as the games were controlled by UIndy All-American Kenzee Smith who tallied a total of 20 strikeouts in 9.1 innings pitched.

QUICK DETAILS – GAME 1
Final Score: West Liberty 0, No. 8 Indianapolis 10 (6 Inn.)
Team Records: West Liberty 0-7, No. 8 Indianapolis 12-2
Attendance: 60
Pitching Decision: Win: Kenzee Smith (6-0), Loss: Madison Angus (0-3)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• Indianapolis struck first in game one as a triple to right field scored one to make it a 1-0 ball game. In the bottom half of the inning West Liberty saw Sydney Johnson hit a leadoff single up the middle, however a double play and a strikeout saw the frame come to a close.
• After a pair of singles to open the top of the second for the Greyhounds, Mallory Rosnick collected a pair of ground balls hit towards third base and notched a pair of unassisted force outs of the lead runners before the scoring threat came to close as Breena Grace caught a pop-up foul ball behind home plate.
• The Hilltoppers went 3-up, 3-down in the bottom of the second inning before an RBI double to left center extended the lead to 2-0 for UIndy in the top of the third.
• After a pair of strikeouts to start the bottom of the third, Carlee Leidy and Johnson notched back-to-back singles to give WLU a pair of base runners, however the inning came to a close with a pop fly to second base.
• Ashlyn Tapman shutdown the Indianapolis lineup for the first time in the afternoon as she pitched a 3-up, 3-down top half of the fourth.
• West Liberty's final hit of the first match-up came in the bottom of the fourth as Sara Simon knocked a 2-out single to left field, however the inning ended with a strikeout.
• The Greyhounds closed the opening contest of the afternoon with three runs in the top of the fifth and five runs in the top of the sixth as their pitcher, Kenzee Smith, kept the Hilltopper bats at bay as she threw 12 strikeouts in the game.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 1
Sydney Johnson: 2-for-2
Sara Simon: 1-for-2
Carlee Leidy: 1-for-2
 
QUICK DETAILS – GAME 2
Final Score: West Liberty 2, No. 8 Indianapolis 7
Team Records: West Liberty 0-8, No. 8 Indianapolis 13-2
Attendance: 77
Pitching Decision: Win: Jayden Casebolt (5-1), Loss: Kadence Pettit (0-3)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• Kadence Pettit and the West Liberty defense were able to minimize the effects of the Indianapolis offense early in game two as she threw six strikeouts in the first three innings of action and posted back-to-back 3-up, 3-down frames in the second and third.
• After Sydney Johnson reached base safely on an error and Kayla Mancuso reached first on a fielder's choice, they both crossed the plate to give the Hilltoppers a 2-0 lead with a double up the middle by Sara Simon in the bottom of the third.
• The Greyhounds answered the pair of WLU runs as they hit a pair of RBI singles and an RBI double to grab a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth.
• After West Liberty notched a pair of base runners in the bottom of the fourth, Indianapolis once again turned to their All-American in the circle as Kenzee Smith quieted the Hilltopper bats. After she entered the circle as WLU was unable to reach base the remainder of the contest and went down on strikes eight times.
• The Greyhounds extended the lead in the top of the seventh with four runs on a 2-RBI single and 2-RBI triple to right center to make it a 7-2 game.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 2
Sara Simon: 2-for-3, 1 double, 2 RBI
Kayla Mancuso: 1 walk, 1 run scored, 1 stolen base
Kadence Pettit: 6.1 innings pitched, 8 strikeouts
 
UP NEXT
West Liberty will make their second trip south to the Carolinas starting on Sunday, March 3, as they begin a stretch of ten games in seven days as they visit No. 25 Lenoir-Rhyne. The Hilltoppers and Bears are slated for first pitch times of 1 and 3 p.m. at Bears Field in Hickory, North Carolina.