West Liberty, W.Va. – The West Liberty University baseball team fell twice on Sunday afternoon as they were defeated by scores of 7-4 and 8-2 against Fairmont State in the final pair of contests in a 4-game weekend series. In game one the Falcons took advantage of a wild pitch and a failed pick-off attempt to take the lead early and the Hilltoppers were unable to keep pace as they left the bases loaded on two occasions early in the match-up. In the final game of the MEC series, FSU seized momentum with a grand slam in the third inning and they held the WLU bats at bay as the Black & Gold entered the seventh frame with only one hit.

QUICK DETAILS – GAME 1
Final Score: West Liberty 4, Fairmont State 7
Team Records: West Liberty 10-35 (6-17 MEC), Fairmont State 16-24 (14-9 MEC)
Attendance: 143
Pitching Decision: Win: Zane Loveday (2-0), Loss: Tanner Pelaez (4-6), Save: Mac Schnur (2)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• After neither team was able to record a hit in the first inning, Fairmont State struck first in the top of the second as they scored one run on a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead.
• West Liberty looked to respond in the bottom of the second as Brad Goodyear and Luke Marsh drew walks while Garrett Scott was hit by a pitch to load the bases, however they would be left stranded as a pop up to second base ended the frame.
• Tanner Pelaez and the Hilltopper defense forced the Falcons to go 3-up, 3-down in the top of the third, however FSU would add a run in the top of the fourth to make it a 2-0 advantage. The Falcon run would cross the plate on a failed pick-off attempt at second base, that went wide and into center field, in a bases loaded situation with two outs and a full count.
• The Hilltoppers left the bases loaded for a second time in the contest in the bottom of the fourth as Adam Och reached base on a single through the left side, Scott was once again hit by a pitch, and Noah Mildren drew a walk, however a ground out to third base ended the scoring opportunity.
• Fairmont State extended their lead in the top of the fifth inning as they scored two runs on a double to left center and two runs on a homerun over the left field fence by Cameron Sheets to make it a 6-0 contest.
• West Liberty cut into the deficit in the bottom half of the fifth inning as Trevor Thomas connected on a two run shot over the left field fence to make it a 6-2 ball game in favor of FSU.
• Luke Foley, who took the mound in relief in the top of the sixth inning, got WLU out of a jam were FSU had runners on the corners but a pick-off at third base stalled the momentum that was building and two at-bats later a fly out to Kobe Hill in center field ended the frame with a pair of runners stranded.
• The Black & Gold cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the sixth as a leadoff double down the right field line by Marsh sparked momentum in the home dugout. Later in the inning Will Balgo knocked a 2-RBI single down the right field line to bring home Alex Hawkins, who pinch ran for Marsh, and Hill, who had drawn a walk, to make it a 6-4 contest.
• The final run of the game came from Fairmont State in the top of the seventh as Sheets connected on a solo homerun over the left center field fence, his second long ball of the game, to make it a 7-4 contest.
• Och tallied his third hit of the game with a single through the left side in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Hilltoppers a base runner with just one out, however he would be left stranded as a fly out and fielder's choice ended game one.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 1
Adam Och: 3-for-4
Luke Marsh: 1-for-2, 1 double, 1 walk
Trevor Thomas: 1-for-4, 1 homerun, 2 RBI, 1 run scored
Will Balgo: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 run scored
Tanner Pelaez: 4.0 innings pitched, 3 strikeouts
 
QUICK DETAILS – GAME 2
Final Score: West Liberty 2, Fairmont State 8
Team Records: West Liberty 10-36 (6-18 MEC), Fairmont State 17-24 (15-9 MEC)
Attendance: 127
Pitching Decision: Win: Logan McClure (4-4), Loss: Mason Bille (0-4)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• Mason Bille and the West Liberty defense opened the game by sending Fairmont State down in order in the top of the first inning, however the Falcons would regroup and score the first run of the game in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly out to Noah Mildren in right field to make it a 1-0 game.
• FSU extended their lead in the top of the third as Cameron Sheets connected on his third homerun of the day, knocking a grand slam over the left center field fence to make it a 5-0 contest.
• Fairmont State tacked on a pair of runs on a double down the left field line to make it a 7-0 contest in the top of the fourth inning.
• The Hilltoppers recorded their first hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning as Ryan Talbert hit a double into left field, however he would be left stranded as a foul out down the third base line and a fly out to left field ended the frame.
• Drake Dobson took the mound in relief in the top of the fifth inning and halted all momentum the Falcon bats accumulated during the first four innings of action. Following a 3-up, 3-down fifth frame, his only base runner allowed in the sixth was a walk and did not give up a hit during his two innings pitched.
• FSU's final run of the game came in the top of the seventh as an RBI single through the left side extended their lead to 8-0.
• Entering the bottom of the seventh with only one hit, West Liberty was able to find a spark to find the scoreboard late in the contest. After a fly out to left field and a strikeout started the frame, Trevor Thomas gave the Hilltoppers a base runner with a 2-out triple to right center and crossed the plate the next at-bat on a wild pitch. Back-to-back singles by Adam Och and Hunter White gave WLU runners on the corners, and Garrett Scott was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The final run of the game came as Luke Marsh drew a bases loaded walk to score Och and cut the deficit to 8-2.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 2
Trevor Thomas: 1-for-3, 1 triple, 1 run scored
Ryan Talbert: 1-for-3, 1 double
Adam Och: 1-for-3, 1 run scored
Hunter White: 1-for-3
Drake Dobson: 2.0 innings pitched, 0 hits allowed, 0 runs allowed, 2 strikeouts
 
UP NEXT
West Liberty will close the regular season with a 4-game series against Ohio County rival Wheeling next weekend. The series will get underway with first pitch times of 1 and 4 p.m. on Friday, May 3, at the JB Chambers I-470 Complex in Wheeling.