Beckley, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team dropped both games of their Sunday afternoon doubleheader against Pitt-Johnstown at Linda K. Epling Stadium as they fell by scores of 4-1 and 14-7 (8 Inn.). It was a pitchers dual in game one as both teams combined for only five hits in the match-up while in the second game of the day the teams flipped a switch, and the bats came to life in an extra inning battle in which the Mountain Cats scored the final nine runs to earn a come from behind win.

QUICK DETAILS – GAME 1
Final Score: West Liberty 1, Pitt-Johnstown 4
Team Records: West Liberty 2-5, Pitt-Johnstown 4-5
Attendance: 84
Pitching Decision: Win: Brandon Clifford (1-0), Loss: Ethan Conley (0-2)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• After both teams went down in order in the first inning, Pitt-Johnstown was the first team to score as they broke the scoreless tie with a solo homerun to left field in the top of the second.
• West Liberty's first two hits came in the bottom of the second inning as Brad Goodyear and Kobe Hill connected on a pair of 2-out singles, however a groundout would leave them stranded to end the inning.
• In the third inning Ethan Conley sent the Mountain Cats down in order for the second time in the contest in the top half of the inning while in the bottom half a leadoff single by Noah Mildren was the last hit of game one for the Hilltoppers.
• UPJ loaded the bases in the top of the fourth with a pair of walks and an error and then proceeded to score a pair of runs on a walk and hit by pitch to make it a 3-0 game.
• Pitt-Johnstown again loaded the bases in the top of the sixth with a pair of walks and a hit by pitch and then proceeded to extend their lead to 4-0 on a bases loaded walk.
• As hits remained scarce in the opening game of the day, the Hilltoppers saw the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth with fielders' choice and a pair of walks, but the inning would come to a close with a foul out.
• Greg Geis took the mound for WLU in the top of the seventh and sent UPJ down in order as he struck out a pair.
• West Liberty was able to get on the board in the bottom of the seventh as Goodyear came around to score on an error after reaching base via a walk earlier in the inning. WLU's rally would come up short as the Mountain Cats ended the game with a double play.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 1
Brad Goodyear: 1-for-2, 1 walk, 1 run scored
Kobe Hill: 1-for-2, 1 walk
Noah Mildren: 1-for-3
Greg Geis: 1.0 inning pitched, 0 hits allowed, 0 runs allowed, 2 strikeouts
 
QUICK DETAILS – GAME 2
Final Score: West Liberty 7, Pitt-Johnstown 14
Team Records: West Liberty 2-6, Pitt-Johnstown 5-5
Attendance: 79
Pitching Decision: Win: Seth Shuey (1-0), Loss: Trevor Thomas (0-1)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• Bryce Winter opened game two on the mound as Pitt-Johnstown went 3-up, 3-down in the top half of the first. In the bottom half of the frame a sacrifice fly by Trevor Thomas allowed tor James Salvatori to tag up and score to give WLU a 1-0 lead after drawing a leadoff walk earlier in the inning.
• Pitt-Johnstown scored four runs in the top of the second to take a 4-1 lead in the game as they scored one run on a passed ball, one on a groundout that resulted in a double play, one on an RBI double to left field, and one on a bases loaded walk before a pop up to shortstop ended the inning.
• After the Hilltoppers went down in order in the bottom of the second, the Mountain Cats pushed their lead to 5-1 with an unearned run as their batter reached on an error.
• WLU trimmed the deficit to 5-2 in the bottom of the third as a groundout by Will Balgo allowed time for Jacob Sherman to score from third after he singled to center field earlier in the inning.
• West Liberty regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth with four runs in the frame as it started with an RBI single up the middle by Kameron Jackson scored Kobe Hill, who reached base by getting hit by a pitch, then Alex Hawkins crossed the plate on a bases loaded walk drawn by Ryan Talbert, and then Balgo reached on an error by the shortstop which scored Sherman and Noah Mildren to give WLU the 6-5 advantage.
• As Luke Marsh scored on a fielders' choice it allowed for Adam Och to score after he singled to the shortstop earlier in the inning and made it a 7-5 game in the bottom of the fifth.
• An RBI double to left field in the top of the sixth and an RBI single to center field in the top of the seventh allowed for UPJ to tie the game at seven apiece and force extra innings after WLU left runners stranded on second and third in the bottom of the seventh.
• Pitt-Johnstown seized the momentum in the top of the eighth as a bases clearing triple to left center gave them a 10-7 lead and later in the inning, they added four more runs on a wild pitch, single up the middle, a triple to center field, and a sacrifice fly.
• Talbert knocked a single into right field in the bottom half of the eighth, but West Liberty was unable to mount a rally as the game ended with a strikeout and a ground out.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 2
Ryan Talbert: 3-for-3, 1 walk, 1 RBI
Jacob Sherman: 2-for-4, 1 walk, 2 runs scored
Kobe Hill: 2-for 3, 1 run scored
 
UP NEXT
West Liberty will be back in action on Tuesday, March 5, as they travel to face former MEC foe Shepherd in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The Hilltoppers and Rams are set for first pitch times of 12 and 2:30 p.m. at Fairfax Field.