West Liberty, W.Va. – The West Liberty University softball team will put their 6-game win streak to the test as they face their second nationally ranked opponent of the season, No. 15 Charleston, and West Virginia State this weekend as they play their first road contests of the MEC portion of their schedule. The Hilltoppers and Golden Eagles are slated for 1 and 3 p.m. first pitch times at UC Softball Field on Sunday afternoon, followed by WLU visiting WVSU at 1 and 3 p.m. on Monday afternoon at Lady Jackets Field.

GAME DETAILS

• Sunday: 1 and 3 p.m. first pitch times at UC Softball Field in Charleston, West Virginia
• Monday: 1 and 3 p.m. first pitch times at Lady Jackets Field in Institute, West Virginia

WEST LIBERTY STORYLINES

• West Liberty enters this weekend's doubleheaders with a 9-13 record on the season following their third consecutive sweep with 8-4 and 6-0 wins over Wheeling on Wednesday, March 20. WLU has now won nine of their last 12 games.
• The Hilltoppers are currently in sole possession of first place in the MEC North Division standings and are one of only two remaining undefeated teams in league play.
• As a team, WLU is hitting .293 with 162 hits, 29 doubles, two triples, ten homeruns, 76 RBI, and 88 runs scored through 22 games played this season.
• Sydney Johnson leads the team with a .435 batting average while posting an on-base percentage of .466, a slugging percentage of .551, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.017. She has tallied 30 hits, six doubles, one triple, eight RBI, and has scored 14 runs. Johnson has recorded a hit in 14 consecutive games, which includes eight games with two or more hits.
• Kayla Mancuso is second on the team with a batting average of .370, while also recording an on-base percentage of .473, a slugging percentage of .457, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .930. She has tallied 17 hits, one double, one homerun, ten RBI, and 15 runs scored. Mancuso has notched a hit in nine consecutive games, and 12 of the last 13 contests.
• Sara Simon (.340), Jaden Conrad (.340), and Carlee Leidy (.318) are the three remaining players who are hitting better than .300 on the season.
• Mallory Rosnick leads the team with three homeruns on the year.
• The Hilltoppers' pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 5.11, allowing 179 hits and 63 walks, while throwing 78 strikeouts. Opponents hold a .295 batting average against WLU pitchers.
• Kadence Pettit, the 2023 MaxPreps West Virginia Player of the Year has made nine starts in 12 appearances to open her freshman campaign, pitching a team-high 46.1 innings and three complete games thus far. She holds a team-low ERA of 3.78 to go along with a 1.60 WHIP, an opponent's batting average of .278, and 40 strikeouts. With a record of 5-6 on the season she has struck out six or more batters in four games.
• Madison Angus holds an ERA of 4.57 while recording a WHIP of 1.51 and has held opponents to a .256 batting average. She has thrown 13 strikeouts on the year.
• Brooke Perri is the top relief pitcher with a 5.25 ERA in 12.0 innings pitched in seven appearances. She has notched a WHIP of 2.42 and an opponent's batting average of .333 while striking out four batters.
• Sara Pelegreen is in her first season as the head coach at West Liberty with a record of 9-13 with the Hilltoppers. Overall, she is in her fifth season as a collegiate head softball coach and has compiled a career record of 78-143 which includes four prior seasons at Wheeling.

#15 CHARLESTON STORYLINES

• Charleston enters Sunday's doubleheader with a 20-1 (8-0 MEC) record on the season following a sweep of Wheeling by scores of 9-1 and 7-0 on Saturday.
• The Golden Eagles are currently in sole possession of first place in the MEC South Division standings and are one of only two remaining undefeated teams in league play.
• Charleston is currently the lone MEC team ranked in the NFCA Division II Coaches' Poll, appearing at No. 15 nationally on Tuesday afternoon.
• As a team, UC is hitting .325 with 168 hits, 35 doubles, two triples, 22 homeruns, 129 RBI, and 142 runs scored through 21 games played this season.
• Hannah Rose leads the team with a .477 batting average while also adding a .570 on-base percentage, an .800 slugging percentage, and a 1.370 on-base plus slugging percentage. She has tallied 31 hits, four doubles, one triple, five homeruns, 17 RBI, and 31 runs scored. Rose has recorded a hit in nine consecutive games, and 12 of the last 13 contests. In the last 13 games she has eight games of two or more hits.
• Allysa Lake adds a batting average of .371 while also tallying a .459 on-base percentage, a .742 slugging percentage, and a 1.201 on-base plus slugging percentage. She has notched 22 hits, six doubles, one triple, five homeruns, 22 RBI, and 15 runs scored.
• Allison Rubal (.364) and Isabella Andujar (.359) round out the group of four players to be batting above .300 on the season.
• The Golden Eagles' pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 1.66, allowing 88 hits and 27 walks, while throwing 152 strikeouts. Opponents have held a .179 batting average against UC pitchers.
• Chloe Elliot leads all starting pitchers with a low ERA of 1.52 while also adding a WHIP of 0.87 and has held opponents to a .200 batting average. In 27.2 innings pitched she has posted a 3-0 record with 18 strikeouts.
• In 14 appearances and 11 games started, Brianna McCown has pitched a team-high 76.1 innings with 11 complete games. She has posted an ERA of 1.83, a WHIP of 0.89, and has held opponents to a .188 batting average while striking out 93 batters. McCown has a record of 13-1 on the season.
• Michelle Frew is in her third season as the head coach at Charleston with a record of 93-36 during her time with the Golden Eagles. Overall, she is in her 28^th season as a collegiate head softball coach with a career record of 971-403-1 following a 25 year stint at Rollins.

SERIES HISTORY

• Since 2011 Charleston holds a 19-7 lead in the series.
• The Golden Eagles won the most recent meeting on May 5,2023, in the MEC Tournament in Troutville, Virginia, by a score of 5-0.

WEST VIRGINIA STATE STORYLINES

• West Virginia State enters this weekend's doubleheaders with a 10-15 (2-4 MEC) record on the season following being swept by No. 15 Charleston on Wednesday, March 20, by scores of 8-2 and 5-3.
• The Yellow Jackets are currently in fourth place in the MEC South Division standings.
• As a team, WVSU is hitting .258 with 168 hits, 27 doubles, seven triples, three homeruns, 69 RBI, and 84 runs scored through 25 games played this season.
• Autumn Thompson leads the team with a .338 batting average while also adding a .420 on-base percentage, an .493 slugging percentage, and a .913 on-base plus slugging percentage. She has tallied 24 hits, seven doubles, two triples, seven RBI, and ten runs scored. Thompson has recorded a hit in 11 of the last 13 games.
• Kerigan Moore adds a batting average of .317 while also tallying a .358 on-base percentage, a .317 slugging percentage, and a .675 on-base plus slugging percentage. She has notched 20 hits, three RBI, and 11 runs scored.  
• Emele Clark (.304) rounds out a trio of players batting .300 or better this season and Kaitlyn Cabral leads the team with a pair of homeruns.
• The Yellow Jackets' pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 3.92, allowing 203 hits and 52 walks, while throwing 83 strikeouts. Opponents have held a .289 batting average against WVSU pitchers.
• Thompson also leads all pitchers with a low ERA of 3.08 while also adding a WHIP of 1.33 and has held opponents to a .265 batting average. In 84.0 innings pitched she has posted a 6-6 record with 46 strikeouts.
• In ten appearances and two starts, Kaleigh Murphy has pitched a team-high 24.1 innings with one complete game. She has posted an ERA of 4.60, a WHIP of 1.56, and has held opponents to a .276 batting average while striking out 13 batters. Murphy has a record of 2-2 on the season.
• Mattie Best is in her sixth season as the head coach at West Virginia State with a career record of 127-120 during her time with the Yellow Jackets.

SERIES HISTORY

• Since 2011 West Virginia State holds a 21-8 lead in the series.
• The Hilltoppers and Yellow Jackets split last season's doubleheader in Wheeling as WLU took game one by a score of 7-4 and WVSU won game two by a score of 6-1 on March 25, 2023.