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Sara Simon vs. Fairmont State
Olivia Bernola

Hilltoppers Conclude Regular Season at Salem and Notre Dame

4/26/2024 8:19:00 AM

West Liberty, W.Va. – The West Liberty University softball team will close out the 2024 regular season on the road this weekend, starting with a non-conference doubleheader at Salem on Friday, April 26, before they play at Notre Dame on Saturday, April 27, with MEC Tournament seeding implications on the line. The Hilltoppers and Tigers are slated for a 12 and 2 p.m. first pitch time at The Bridge Sports Complex in Bridgeport, West Virginia, while WLU and the Falcons are set for a 1 and 3 p.m. first pitch at Normandy Field in South Euclid, Ohio.

GAME DETAILS
  • Location (Friday): Bridgeport, West Virginia (The Bridge Sports Complex)
  • First Pitch (Friday): 12 and 2 p.m.
  • Location (Saturday): South Euclid, Ohio (Normandy Field)
  • First Pitch (Saturday): 1 and 3 p.m.
WEST LIBERTY STORYLINES
  • West Liberty enters this weekend's doubleheaders with a 17-29 (11-15 MEC) record on the season after being swept by Fairmont State on Saturday and splitting with Frostburg State on Sunday. The Hilltoppers dropped games by scores of 4-0 and 4-3 to the Falcons and fell by a score of 5-1 before bouncing back with a 6-5 win over the Bobcats.
  • The Hilltoppers are currently in third place in the MEC North Division standings.
  • As a team, WLU is hitting .270 with 331 hits, 54 doubles, four triples, 15 homeruns, 145 RBI, and 172 runs scored through 46 games played this season.
  • Jaden Conrad leads the team with a .376 batting average while also posting a .448 on-base percentage, a .528 slugging percentage, and a .976 on-base plus slugging percentage. She has tallied 47 hits, seven doubles, four homeruns, 24 RBI, and 27 runs scored. She has recorded a hit in 26 of the last 31 games she has competed in. On the base paths she is 7-of-8 on stolen base attempts.
  • Kayla Mancuso is second on the team in hitting percentage, batting .346, with an on-base percentage of .443, a slugging percentage of .402, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .845. She has tallied 44 hits, four doubles, one homerun, 13 RBI, and 33 runs scored. Mancuso has notched a hit in 13 consecutive games and in 29 of the last 33 contests she has appeared in. On the base paths she is 13-of-13 on stolen base attempts.
  • Sara Simon adds a .344 batting average while posting an on-base percentage of .377, a slugging percentage of .450, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .827. She has tallied 45 hits, nine doubles, one triple, one homerun, 23 RBI, and 15 runs scored. At the plate she has recorded a hit in five consecutive games and 17 of the last 21 games she has played in. On the base paths she is 7-for-7 on stolen base attempts.
  • Sydney Johnson rounds out the group of players averaging .300 or better at the plate with a .310 batting average while posting an on-base percentage of .333, a slugging percentage of .381, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .714. She has tallied 35 hits, six doubles, one triple, eight RBI, and has scored 17 runs. On the base paths she is 10-for-12 on stolen base attempts this season.
  • The Hilltoppers' pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 4.82, allowing 354 hits and 118 walks, while throwing 165 strikeouts. Opponents hold a .280 batting average against WLU pitchers.
  • Kadence Pettit, the 2023 MaxPreps West Virginia Player of the Year has made 18 starts in 22 appearances to open her freshman campaign, pitching a team-high 112.1 innings and ten complete games thus far. She holds a team-low ERA of 3.53 to go along with a 1.39 WHIP, an opponent's batting average of .252, 78 strikeouts, and one shutout. With a record of 10-10 on the season she has struck out five or more batters in eight games.
  • Ashlyn Tapman is another key pitcher to watch for WLU, totaling 63.0 innings pitched in nine games started and 18 appearances in 2024 for a record of 3-6. She has recorded an ERA of 4.86, a WHIP of 1.43, and an opponent's batting average of .255. She has thrown a total of 44 strikeouts this season and has recorded six or more on three occasions, including a season-high of seven in a win over West Virginia Wesleyan.
  • Madison Angus holds an ERA of 5.24 while recording a WHIP of 1.61 and has held opponents to a .285 batting average. She has totaled 79.0 innings pitched to go along with four complete games in 16 starts and 21 appearances while she has recorded a 1-10 record. She has thrown 24 strikeouts on the year and has recorded a season-high of three on two occasions.
  • Sara Pelegreen is in her first season as the head coach at West Liberty with a record of 17-29 with the Hilltoppers. Overall, she is in her fifth season as a collegiate head softball coach and has compiled a career record of 86-159 which includes four prior seasons at Wheeling.
SALEM STORYLINES
  • Salem enters this weekend's doubleheaders with a 10-32 record on the season following a mid-week split at West Virginia Wesleyan on Tuesday afternoon, falling by a score of 3-2 before a 6-0 win.
  • As a team SU is hitting .246 with 260 hits, 33 doubles, four triples, four homeruns, 116 RBI, and 130 runs scored through 42 games played this season.
  • Sierra Chapa leads the team with a batting average of .352 to go along with a .436 on-base percentage, a .377 slugging percentage, and a .813 on-base plus slugging percentage. She has tallied 43 hits, one double, one triple, six RBI, and 28 runs scored. She has recorded a hit in five of her last 13 games appeared in, including a current stretch of three consecutive games with multiple hits. On the base paths she is 8-for-11 on stolen base attempts.
  • Meladie LaRance also bats above .300 for the Tigers at .310 while also recording .323 on-base percentage, a .450 slugging percentage, and a .773 on-base plus slugging percentage. She has notched 40 hits, eight doubles, two triples, two homeruns, 25 RBI, and 19 runs scored. She has recorded a hit in nine of her last 11 games played in. On the base paths she is 6-for-6 on stolen base attempts.
  • The Tigers' pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 5.29, allowing 391 hits and 100 walks, while throwing 107 strikeouts. Opponents have held a .340 batting average against SU pitchers.
  • Kendall Lemley leads the team with a 5.19 ERA to go along with a WHIP of 1.76 and has limited opponents to a .338 batting average. She has struck out 32 batters while pitching three complete games with a pair of shutouts in 82.1 innings of work. She has collected a 3-8 record with two saves.
  • Franchesca Alvaro adds a 3.62 ERA with a 1.45 WHIP and has limited opponents to a .267 batting average. She has struck out 16 batters in 21.1 innings of work with one complete game and a shutout, while posting a 1-1 record on the season.
  • Steve Potts is in his 16th season as the head coach at Salem with a career record of 189-431 during his time with the Tigers.
SERIES HISTORY
  • Since the 2014 season West Liberty holds a 16-3 series record with 13 consecutive wins.
  • The Hilltoppers swept the first doubleheader this season on March 17 in Weirton, West Virginia, by scores of 5-2 and 7-1.
NOTRE DAME STORYLINES
  • Notre Dame enters this weekend's doubleheaders with a 29-22 (10-14 MEC) record on the season after being swept at Glenville State on Sunday and splitting at Concord on Sunday. The Falcons dropped games by scores of 5-2 and 2-1 to the Pioneers and defeated the Mountain Lions 4-3 (8 Inn.) before falling 8-6 (8 Inn.) in the finale.
  • The Falcons are currently in fourth place in the MEC North Division standings.
  • As a team NDC is hitting .273 with 373 hits, 72 doubles, 18 triples, 12 homeruns, 207 RBI, and 241 runs scored through 51 games played this season.
  • Meadow Odum leads the team with a .331 batting average while adding a .379 on-base percentage, a .571 slugging percentage, and a .950 on-base plus slugging percentage. She has tallied 44 hits, 12 doubles, four triples, and four homeruns. She has recorded a hit in six consecutive games, including 11 of the last 12 games she has appeared in. On the base paths she is 6-of-7 on stolen base attempts.
  • Katelyn DeWeese adds a .309 batting average, a .431 on-base percentage, a .447 slugging percentage, and an .878 on-base plus slugging percentage. She has tallied 47 hits, nine doubles, six triples, 19 RBI, and 42 runs scored. She has recorded a hit in seven of her last nine games played. On the base paths she is 26-of-31 on stolen base attempts.
  • Rounding out a total of four NDC players hitting above .300 are Avery Robinson (.309) and Destany Blake (.303).
  • The Falcons' pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 4.09, allowing 370 hits and 123 walks, while throwing 267 strikeouts. Opponents have held a .268 batting average against NDC pitchers.
  • Allison Weilnau is Notre Dame's top pitcher, holding a 3.30 ERA, a WHIP of 1.44, and has held opponents to a .270 batting average. She has struck out 72 batters in 136.1 innings of work and has collected an 11-9 record to go along with 11 complete games and one shutout.
  • Another key starting pitcher to watch is Grace Fisher as she holds a 3.66 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and has held opponents to a .241 batting average. She has struck out 153 batters in 152.2 innings of work in the circle as she has posted a 14-10 record in 16 complete games and five shutouts.
  • The top relief pitcher for NDC is Madison Olszewski who has posted a 2.53 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP while holding opponents to .283 batting at the plate. She has thrown 18 strikeouts in 21.1 innings of work in the circle, notching a 3-1 record as well as two saves.
  • Kelsey Stopp is in her sixth season as the head coach at Notre Dame with a career record of 121-142 during her time with the Falcons.
SERIES HISTORY
  • Since the 2014 season Notre Dame holds a 20-19 lead in the series, however West Liberty has won nine of the last 11 contests.
  • The Hilltoppers swept the first doubleheader this season on March 16 in Weirton, West Virginia, by scores of 6-5 and 2-1.
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