Troutville, Va. – After an opening round loss yesterday evening, the West Liberty University softball team bounced back with a 2-1 victory over Frostburg State and a 2-1 win in extra innings over Fairmont State on Thursday afternoon at the Botetourt Softball Complex. The Hilltoppers fended off elimination against the MEC North Division's top-2 teams and kept a Cinderella postseason run alive as they clinched their fifth 20+ win season since 2018. In WLU's first game of the day against the Bobcats, back-to-back doubles set up a sacrifice fly opportunity for Kieran Johnson to bring home Mallory Rosnick as the game-winning run in the top of the sixth to advance the Hilltoppers. Then in the final game of the day against the Falcons, Carlee Leidy rounded third with a full head of steam on a single by Jaden Conrad before getting out of a rundown situation and finding a window to dive into home plate for the game-winning run in the top of the eighth.

QUICK DETAILS VS. FROSTBURG STATE
Final Score: West Liberty 2, Frostburg State 1
Team Records: West Liberty 19-33 (11-17 MEC), Frostburg State 29-20 (20-8 MEC)
Attendance: 135
Pitching Decision: Win: Kadence Pettit (11-12), Loss: Katie Chapple (6-5)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED VS. FROSTBURG STATE

• While West Liberty went 3-up, 3-down at the plate each of the first two innings, Frostburg State threatened to score early. In the bottom of the first, the Bobcats loaded the bases before a ground out to Jaden Conrad got the Hilltoppers out of the frame unscathed, however FSU plated the first run of the game on a throwing error to first in the bottom of the second that would have ended the inning.
• WLU tallied their first hit of the contest with a leadoff single up the middle by Olivia Munoz in the top of the third inning and she would come around to tie the game at one apiece as Kayla Mancuso reached base on a throwing error.
• The momentum started to swing in West Liberty's direction as Kadence Pettit tossed a pair of 3-up, 3-down innings for the Hilltopper defense in the bottom of the third and fourth innings before the Black & Gold once again fended off a bases loaded situation for Frostburg State as Mallory Rosnick corralled a ground out to third base in the bottom of the fifth.
• Rosnick and Pettit knocked back-to-back doubles into left field and left center to put runners on the corners, followed by a full count walk by Munoz to load the bases in the top of the sixth. The Hilltoppers then drove in the winning run as Kieran Johnson hit a sacrifice fly out to right field, allowing Rosnick to cross the plate and make it a 2-1 ball game.
• Frostburg State left one runner stranded at first in the bottom of the sixth and West Liberty was unable to add an insurance run in the top of the seventh as they entered the bottom half of the frame looking to fend off a Bobcat rally and keep their season alive.
• Back-to-back walks gave the Bobcats runners at first and second with only one out, before Rosnick snagged a ground ball to third base and touched the bag to get the lead runner out for the second out of the frame. The Hilltoppers closed out the upset win as Carlee Leidy hauled in a fly ball to right field.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS VS. FROSTBURG STATE
Mallory Rosnick: 1-for-3, 1 double, 1 hit by pitch, 1 run scored
Kadence Pettit: 1-for-2, 1 double, 1 walk, 7.0 innings pitched, 3 hits allowed, 1 run allowed (0 earned), 1 strikeout
Olivia Munoz: 1-for-2, 1 walk, 1 run scored
 
QUICK DETAILS VS. FAIRMONT STATE
Final Score: West Liberty 2, Fairmont State 1 (8 Innings)
Team Records: West Liberty 20-33 (11-17 MEC), Fairmont State 40-13 (22-6)
Attendance: 211
Pitching Decision: Win: Leah Alford (4-3), Loss: Delaney Haller (20-5)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED VS. FAIRMONT STATE

• Similar to the first game of the day, West Liberty went 3-up, 3-down in the first two innings of the game before Fairmont State struck first in the bottom of the second as a single up the middle made it a 1-0 ball game.
• The Hilltoppers didn't record their first hit of the game until the top of the fifth inning as Kadence Pettit knocked a double down the left field line. Leah Alford then entered to pinch run for Pettit and came around to score the next at-bat to even the game at one apiece as Isabella Caruso reached safely on a throwing error by the Falcon's second basemen.
• WLU threatened to score again in the top of the seventh as Mallory Rosnick gave the Black & Gold a base runner with a single through the left side, however she would be called out trying to reach third two at-bats later when Isabella Caruso hit a single to left field.
• Leah Alford capped off a 3-up, 3-down frame in the bottom of the seventh frame as she recorded a strikeout looking to send the game into extras.
• After drawing a full count walk, Carlee Leidy moved into scoring position at second base on a single up the middle from Kayla Mancuso to set up the game-winning run. Rounding third base with a full head of steam on a single to right field by Jaden Conrad, Leidy was stopped dead in her tracks as Alexa Andrews fired a dart to Abbie Keilholz at the plate for Fairmont State, however one step backwards forced a throw down to third and opened a window to slide into home for a 2-1 WLU advantage.
• Despite a single to shortstop for the Falcons, the Hilltoppers shutdown any chance of a comeback attempt as Mancuso caught a fly out to center field for the final out and West Liberty's second upset of the day.

WEST LIBERTY STATISTICAL LEADERS VS. FAIRMONT STATE
Jaden Conrad: 2-for-4
Kadence Pettit: 1-for-3, 1 double
Carlee Leidy: 0-for-2, 1 walk, 1 run scored
Leah Alford: 8.0 innings pitched, 7 hits allowed, 1 earned run allowed, 1 walk allowed, 2 strikeouts, 1 run scored (pinch runner)
 
UP NEXT
West Liberty will face off against Davis & Elkins in game 12 of the Mountain East Conference Softball Tournament tomorrow at 12 p.m. at the Botetourt Softball Complex in Troutville, Virginia. The winner will move on to face the loser of No. 11 Charleston and Notre Dame at 2:30 p.m., in a match-up to punch a ticket to Saturday's championship game.