Cadiz, Ohio – The West Liberty University baseball team fell in both match-ups of a neutral site doubleheader at Mazerowski Field on Friday afternoon as they dropped the games by scores of 8-1 and 12-9 to Lake Erie. The Storm used a pair of 4-run innings in game one and a trio of 3-run innings in game two to build up their leads, however the Hilltoppers didn't go down quietly. In game two WLU used the long ball to mount the rally, knocking four homeruns over the fence throughout the game, including back-to-back homers to spark a 6-run inning to draw within one.

QUICK DETAILS – GAME 1
Final Score: West Liberty 1, Lake Erie 8
Team Records: West Liberty 2-7, Lake Erie 5-5
Attendance: 59
Pitching Decision: Win: Dominic Polt (3-1), Loss: Ethan Conley (0-3)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• Through the first two innings of play, both West Liberty and Lake Erie recorded one hit and left a pair of base runners stranded as the Storm hit a single into left field in the top of the first and Trevor Thomas knocked a double to left field in the bottom of the second.
• LEC scored the first runs of the contest in the top of the third as they gained a 4-0 advantage with one run on a sacrifice fly to center field, and a bases clearing double to right field.
• WLU got one run back in the bottom of the third as James Salvatori hit a solo homerun. The ensuing at-bats Ryan Talbert drew a walk and Will Balgo hit a single to center field to place runners at the corners, however Lake Erie shut down the frame with a strikeout to keep their lead at 4-1.
• The pitching and defense once again began to take control of the game through the fourth and sixth innings as each team managed only two hits apiece, but the Storm pushed their lead to 8-1 in the top of the seventh with a 3-run homerun and solo homerun back-to-back.
• Kobe Hill singled to center field in the bottom of the seventh for WLU with two outs but a strikeout the ensuing at-bat close

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 1
James Salvatori: 2-for-4, 1 homerun, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 stolen base
Will Balgo: 2-for-3
Trevor Thomas: 1-for-3, 1 double
Ethan Conley: 3.0 innings pitched, 3 hits allowed, 0 earned runs allowed, 2 strikeouts
 
QUICK DETAILS – GAME 2
Final Score: West Liberty 9, Lake Erie 12
Team Records: West Liberty 2-8, Lake Erie 6-5
Attendance: 68
Pitching Decision: Win: Robert Helt (3-1), Loss: Tanner Pelaez (1-2)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• Lake Erie struck first immediately in the top of the first with a leadoff solo homerun, and then two at-bats later a 2-run shot over the center field fence to make it a 3-0 game.
• West Liberty got one run back in the bottom half of the first inning as Kobe Hill hit a leadoff homerun to left field to make it a 3-1 game.
• The storm extended their lead to 6-1 in the top of the second with a 3-run homerun to left field.
• Luke Marsh drew a walk for the Hilltoppers in the bottom of the second but was left stranded as a pop up to the shortstop ended the inning.
• In the top of the third a single to right field allowed one run to cross the plate for LEC, making the score 7-1.
• WLU began to chip away at the deficit in the bottom of the third as a double to left field by Ryan Talbert scored Hill and James Salvatori who walked and hit a single to left field to reach base, bringing the score to 7-3.
• Evan Barnes and the West Liberty defense made quick work of the top of the fourth as they sent Lake Erie down in order, however the Storm would add three more runs in the fifth a leadoff solo homerun to left field, one run on a passed ball, and one run on a ground out to make it a 10-3 game.
• The Hilltoppers started the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back homeruns by Salvatori and Talbert to left field. Then later in the inning a double by Marsh scored Will Balgo, and a 3-run homerun by Noah Mildren closed the gap to one run (10-9).
• LEC capped the scoring in the match-up in the top of the sixth with a 2-RBI double to center field.
• WLU was unable to get the bats going again after the 6-run fifth inning, as they went down in order in both the sixth and seventh innings, striking out in four of the six at-bats.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 2
Ryan Talbert: 2-fo-4, 1 double, 1 homerun, 3 RBI, 1 run scored
James Salvatori: 2-for-4, 1 homerun, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored
Noah Mildren: 1-for-2, 1 homerun, 3 RBI, 1 run scored
Greg Geis: 3.0 innings pitched, 3 hits allowed, 2 earned runs allowed, 3 strikeouts
 
UP NEXT
West Liberty and Lake Erie will conclude their 4-game series on Sunday afternoon at Wheeling Park High School with first pitch times scheduled for 1 and 4 p.m. for the Hilltoppers and Storm.