West Liberty, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team fell in both games of Saturday afternoon's doubleheader at Kovalick Field by scores 4-3 (8 Inn.) and 14-8 to Fairmont State. The Hilltoppers and Falcons went toe-to-toe with each other throughout the day, while FSU was able to outlast WLU in the end. In game one of the series both teams scored twice in the third inning and once in the sixth as the contest went to extra innings where an RBI single was enough to propel the visitors to a win. In game two the Black & Gold posted the lone run of the first four innings with a solo homerun by Ryan Talbert in the bottom of the first. The teams then matched each other with six runs apiece in the fifth inning before an 8-1 advantage for FSU in the final two frames gave them a doubleheader sweep.

QUICK DETAILS – GAME 1
Final Score: West Liberty 3, Fairmont State 4 (8 Inn.)
Team Records: West Liberty 10-33 (6-15 MEC), Fairmont State 14-24 (12-9 MEC)
Attendance: 111
Pitching Decision: Win: Evan McDade (1-0), Loss: Brady Harmon (2-5)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• West Liberty and Fairmont State combined to leave seven base runners stranded through the first two innings of play before both teams scored a pair of runs in the third inning. The Falcons struck first in the top half of the third with a 2-RBI double down the left field line, before the Hilltoppers answered in the bottom half. Jacob Sherman scored the first run of the game for WLU as Brad Goodyear was hit by a pitch and then two at-bats later James Salvatori scored on a wild pitch to even the game.
• Trevor Thomas began to settle in on the mound as he and the Hilltopper defense sent the Falcons down in order in the top of the fourth and fifth innings. During the 3-up, 3-down fourth frame for FSU, Thomas notched a pair of strikeouts.
• The teams once again went back-and-forth in the sixth inning as each team put up one run on the scoreboard. In the top half Fairmont State scored on a sacrifice fly out to Salvatori in left field. In the bottom half of the frame West Liberty looked to have momentum building as a single up the middle by Sherman allowed Adam Och to round the bases and plate a run, however that would be the lone run to score as Sherman would be left stranded after a pair of outs ended the inning.
• Neither team was able to break the tie in the seventh inning as Thomas fended off the Falcon scoring threat by leaving runners stranded on the corners. In the bottom half of the frame Will Balgo led off the inning by reaching base the third time in the contest by way of a hit by pitch, however he would be left stranded with a pop up to shortstop and a pair of strikeouts.
• Fairmont State broke the tie in the top of the eighth with the winning run scoring on a single up the middle, while West Liberty was unable to match the Falcons this time around with the tying run being left stranded on first base as back-to-back fly outs to center field ended the ball game.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 1
Jacob Sherman: 2-for-4, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 stolen base
Will Balgo: 0-1, 3 hit by pitch
Trevor Thomas: 7.0 innings pitched, 3 strikeouts
 
QUICK DETAILS – GAME 2
Final Score: West Liberty 8, Fairmont State 14
Team Records: West Liberty 10-34 (6-16 MEC), Fairmont State 15-24 (13-9 MEC)
Attendance: 105
Pitching Decision: Win: Andrew Coursin (3-0), Loss: Bryce Winter (1-2)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• West Liberty struck first in the bottom of the first inning when Ryan Talbert blasted a solo homerun over the right field fence to give the Hilltoppers a 1-0 advantage.
• Jacob Watson held Fairmont State to just one hit in the first four innings of action, allowing only a leadoff triple to left center in the top of third before forcing a lineout and a pair of groundouts to keep FSU scoreless.
• The first big inning of the game occurred in the top of the fifth as the Falcons plated six in the frame. FSU scored two runs on a single down the right field line, one run on a single down the left field line, and three runs on a homerun over the right field fence to make it a 6-1 ball game.
• The Hilltoppers had an answer in the bottom half of the frame as they matched FSU with six runs of their own in the inning. The scoring started with a 2-run homerun by Noah Mildren down the right field line and then a few at-bats later Talbert hit a single to second base that allowed Luke Marsh to cross the plate. A sacrifice fly to center field by Garrett Scott allowed for Jacob Sherman to tag up and advance home to bring WLU within one, before the Black & Gold took the lead on bases clearing triple to left center by Trevor Thomas that scored Talbert and Will Balgo to make it a 7-6 contest in favor of the Hilltoppers.
• Fairmont State kept their foot on the gas as they plated seven more runs in the top of the sixth inning, all occurring with two outs, as they scored one run on a bases loaded walk, one run on a passed ball, two runs on a double to left field, one run on a single to right field, and two runs on a single through the left side to make it a 13-7 ball game in favor of FSU.
• WLU was unable to respond with another big inning in the bottom of the sixth as their lone hit was a double down the right field line by Luke Marsh, however he would be left stranded on a fly out to left field.
• The Falcons tacked on one final run in the top of the seventh with a bases loaded walk pushing their lead to 14-7.
• The Hilltoppers scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the seventh as a passed ball allowed Talbert to cross the plate and make the score 14-8.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 2
Ryan Talbert: 3-for-4, 1 homerun, 2 RBI, 3 runs scored
Brad Goodyear: 2-for-3, 1 walk, 1 run scored
Noah Mildren: 1-for-3, 1 homerun, 2 RBI, 1 run scored
 
UP NEXT
West Liberty and Fairmont State will close out the 4-game MEC series on Sunday afternoon with first pitch times of 1 and 4 p.m. at Kovalick Field.