West Liberty, W.Va. – The West Liberty University softball team battled to a hard-fought doubleheader split with Point Park on Wednesday afternoon at the Hilltopper Softball Complex, falling in game one 5-4 (9 innings) before bouncing back and winning 3-1 in game two. The first match-up became the second time this season that a WLU contest has gone into extra innings as they fell to 0-2 in those games. However, it didn't take long for the Hilltoppers to bounce back in game two as they immediately plated all three of their runs in the bottom of the first inning.

QUICK DETAILS – GAME 1
Final Score: West Liberty 4, Point Park 5
Team Records: West Liberty 11-24 (6-10 MEC), Point Park 13-16 (6-12 RSC)
Attendance: 44
Pitching Decision: Win: Jaylyn Mulle (6-7), Loss: Ashlyn Tapman (1-4)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• Point Park and West Liberty each went 3-up, 3-down in the first inning before recording their first hits of the game in the second inning. In the bottom of the second Jaden Conrad hit a lead off double to right center to open up the frame and eventually crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly out to left field to make it 1-0.
• The Pioneers responded to score a pair of runs in the top of the third and take their first lead of the day, as one run crossed the plate on a single to shortstop and then one run scored the ensuing at-bat on a single to center field to take a 2-1 advantage.
• Each team went hitless in the bottom of the third and top of the fourth before the Hilltoppers evened the game at two apiece in the bottom of the fourth as Ashlyn Tapman knocked a double to right center, scoring Conrad who singled through the left side of the infield earlier in the frame.
• Point Park regained the lead in the top of the sixth inning as they knocked a double down the left field line to score one and take a 3-2 edge.
• West Liberty once again had a response to tie the game at three in the bottom of the sixth as Tapman notched an RBI bunt single to score Sara Simon, who had hit a lead off single to left field to get the inning started.
• With a pair of strikeouts by Tapman, WLU withstood a scoring threat from PPU in the top of the seventh as they placed runners on second and third before Sydney Johnson corralled a fly ball to center field to end the inning. The Hilltoppers went 3-up, 3-down in the bottom of the seventh as the score remained tied and entered extra innings.
• With the international tie breaker rules in place, each team scored in the eighth inning as the Pioneers scored on a sacrifice fly out to right field in the top half and Sara Simon scored for the Hilltoppers on an infield ground out to first base by Shelby Harris in the bottom half to extend the game another inning as the teams were even at four apiece.
• Point Park scored on a sacrifice fly out to center field to take a 5-4 advantage in the top of the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth Isabella Caruso, who had started the inning placed on second, was caught trying to steal third and WLU was unable to gain another base runner and score to extend the game.

 
WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 1
Jaden Conrad: 3-for-3, 1 double, 2 runs scored
Ashlyn Tapman: 2-for-3, 1 double, 1 walk, 2 RBI, 7.0 innings pitched, 0 earned runs allowed, 6 strikeouts
Kayla Mancuso: 1-for-4, 1 stolen base
Sara Simon: 1-for-4, 2 runs scored
 
QUICK DETAILS – GAME 2
Final Score: West Liberty 3, Point Park 1
Team Records: West Liberty 12-24 (6-10 MEC), Point Park 13-17 (6-12 RSC)
Attendance: 43
Pitching Decision: Win: Leah Alford (2-2), Loss: Savannah Lee (6-7)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• After Leah Alford and the West Liberty defense held Point Park scoreless in the top of the first inning, the Hilltoppers struck first with their only three runs of the game in the bottom half of the frame. Jaden Conrad singled through the right side of the field to score Kayla Mancuso, who started off the inning with a lead off single up the middle, to make it a 1-0 ball game. Then as Conrad stole second and advanced to third on the throw, Sydney Johnson scored on a throwing error, after reaching base by way of a fielder's choice. Then the final run of the inning came when Conrad crossed the plate as Mallory Rosnick reached base safely on an error, pushing the WLU lead to 3-0.
• A total of 11 combined base runners for the teams would be left stranded on base during the four innings of scoreless action before the next run would be scored as the Pioneers plated their lone run of the contest on a sacrifice fly out to left field to make it a 3-1 game in the top of the sixth.
• The Hilltoppers looked to add a pair of late insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, however Mancuso and Madalyn Johnson were left stranded on second and third base to end the frame. WLU ended the game by sending PPU down in order in the bottom of the seventh inning as the defense forced a ground out to Conrad at second, a flyout to Madalyn Johnson in right field, and a pop up to Sara Simon at shortstop.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 2
Kayla Mancuso: 3-for-3, 1 walk, 1 run scored
Jaden Conrad: 1-for-2, 1 walk, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 stolen base
Shelby Harris: 1-for-3, 1 double
Madalyn Johnson: 1-for-2, 1 walk
Leah Alford: 7.0 innings pitched, 4 hits allowed, 0 earned runs allowed, 2 strikeouts

POSTGAME INTERVIEWS (KAYLA MANCUSO & LEAH ALFORD)

 
UP NEXT
West Liberty will return to MEC action next weekend as they begin a pair of doubleheaders at south division foes with a visit to Davis & Elkins on Saturday, April 13. The games get underway at 12 and 2 p.m. at Joni Smith Field in Elkins, West Virginia.