Avon, Ohio – The West Liberty University baseball team kept the momentum going from Saturday's extra inning victory as they notched a 5-2 win in the opening game of Sunday's doubleheader before falling 12-10 in the series finale. The Hilltoppers led throughout and controlled the entirety of game one which saw Tanner Pelaez throw a complete game as WLU held an 8-5 advantage in hits in the contest. Game two saw the bats come to life early as the Falcons held an 11-4 advantage after just two innings of play, however the Black & gold wouldn't go down without a fight as they plated six runs of their own in the top of the sixth before their rally fell just two runs short. West Liberty and Notre Dame split both of Saturday and Sunday's doubleheaders to close out the 4-game series with two wins apiece.

QUICK DETAILS – GAME 1
Final Score: West Liberty 5, Notre Dame 2
Team Records: West Liberty 10-29 (6-13 MEC), Notre Dame 9-30 (6-17 MEC)
Attendance: 100
Pitching Decision: Win: Tanner Pelaez (4-5), Loss: Grant Meyer (1-3)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• In the top of the first West Liberty left a pair of base runners stranded in scoring position as Ryan Talbert hit a single to right field and James Salvatori reach base via an error before the pair moved up to second and third on a ground out, however they would be left stranded as another ground out ended the frame.
• Tanner Pelaez and the Hilltopper defense got their day started by sending Notre Dame down in order in the bottom of the first inning.
• WLU was the first team to break through on the scoreboard during game one as they plated a pair of runs in the top of the second. It started with Will Balgo drawing a leadoff walk and was followed by Kobe Hill knocking a double to right center the ensuing at-bat. The pair would be brought home on sacrifice fly outs by Noah Mildren and Luke Marsh respectively to make it a 2-0 ball game.
• After a ground out and a fly out started the bottom of the fourth inning, the Falcons loaded the bases with a pair of singles and a walk, however they would be left stranded on a fly out to Hill in center field as WLU maintained their 2-0 advantage.
• West Liberty extended their lead in the top of the fifth inning. Jacob Sherman and Talbert opened the frame with back-to-back singles to reach base and would cross home plate on a ground out by Brad Goodyear and a double down the left field line by Trevor Thomas respectively to make it a 4-0 advantage.
• The Hilltopper defense once again shut down a potential scoring opportunity for NDC in the bottom of the fifth as they had runners on the corners, however a fly out to Salvatori in left field ended the frame as the Black & Gold's lead remained at 4-0.
• Notre Dame eventually scored their first runs of the game in the bottom of the sixth as a 2-run homerun to left center cut the WLU lead in half with a 4-2 ball game entering the seventh inning.
• West Liberty added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning as Salvatori sent a solo homerun over the fence down the left field line to make it a 5-2 lead.
• Pelaez and the Hilltopper defense ended the contest the same way they started by sending the Falcons down in order in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the win.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 1
Jacob Sherman: 2-for-4, 1 run scored
Ryan Talbert: 2-for-4, 1 run scored
Will Balgo: 1-for-2, 2 walks, 1 run scored
Tanner Pelaez: 7.0 innings pitched, 5 hits allowed, 2 earned runs allowed, 3 strikeouts
 
QUICK DETAILS – GAME 2
Final Score: West Liberty 10, Notre Dame 12
Team Records: West Liberty 10-30 (6-14 MEC), Notre Dame 10-30 (7-17 MEC)
Attendance: 100
Pitching Decision: Win: Matthew Brown (3-2), Loss: Drake Dobson (0-3), Save: Nate Miller (1)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• West Liberty once again struck first in game two as Jacob Sherman hit a leadoff single through the right side and eventually scored on wild pitch later in the inning to make it a 1-0 ball game.
• Notre Dame had a big response in the bottom of the first as they took their first lead of the afternoon with five runs in the frame. The Falcons scored one run on a double to right field, one run on a single to left field, one run on another single to left field, one run on a double down the right field line, and one run on a sacrifice fly that was a foul ball towards the first base line.
• The Hilltoppers answered with three runs in the top of the second to draw back within one run. After Will Balgo and Kobe Hill drew walks to reach base, they were each brought around to score on a triple to right field by Noah Mildren. The ensuing at-bat Mildren was brought across the plate on a single through the right side by Luke Marsh to make it a 5-4 ball game in favor of NDC.
• The Falcons kept the scoring going in the bottom of the second as they plated six runs to extend their lead once again. They scored one run on a double to left center, one run on a double to left field, one run on a sacrifice fly out to James Salvatori in left field, one run on an error, one run on a wild pitch, and one run on a single to left field to make It an 11-4 ball game after two innings.
• After a quiet third inning where a leadoff single to left field by Brad Goodyear in the top half of the frame was the only hit of the inning, WLU once again threatened to score in the top of the fourth as a single through the left side by Salvatori loaded the bases but would be left stranded on a fly out to right field.
• Notre Dame tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth inning with an RBI double to right field to push their lead to 12-4.
• Both teams went 3-up, 3-down in the fifth inning.
• The Hilltoppers comeback attempt started in the top of the sixth inning as they plated six runs to cut the deficit to two runs. WLU's first run came as Mildren crossed the plate on a wild pitch. Then later in the inning Goodyear and Balgo each recorded a 2-RBI double before the final run occurred as Hill connected on a single to center field to score Balgo to make it a 12-10 game in favor of NDC.
• West Liberty's rally would fall two runs short as they went down in order in the top of the seventh.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 2
Brad Goodyear: 2-for-3, 1 double, 2 RBI, 1 run scored
Noah Mildren: 2-for-4, 1 triple, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored
Will Balgo: 1-for-3, 1 double, 1 walk, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored
Jacob Sherman: 1-for-4, 1 walk, 2 runs scored, 1 stolen base
Bryce Winter: 4.0 innings pitched, 1 hit allowed, 1 earned run allowed, 3 strikeouts
 
UP NEXT
West Liberty will step outside of Mountain East Conference play one final time this season as they are set to host Shepherd in a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 24. The Hilltoppers and Rams are set for first pitch times of 1 and 4 p.m. at Kovalick Field.