CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Liberty dropped a tightly contested pitcher's duel in Game One of Saturday's doubleheader against the University of Charleston, falling 1-0 in a seven-inning battle.

The only run of the game came in the bottom of the sixth for Charleston on a sacrifice fly from Carter Rust, breaking the scoreless tie.

West Liberty's offense was stifled and held to just three hits. The Hilltoppers managed singles from Ryan Talbert, William Glick, and Luke Marsh but were unable to string together any offense.

Chase Lautner (0-1) turned in a strong performance on the mound for West Liberty despite taking the hard-luck loss. He worked 5.2 innings, allowing just one earned run on seven hits while striking out two. Tanner Pelaez recorded the final out of the sixth in relief.

Game 2 

West Liberty bounced back in Game Two of Saturday's doubleheader, securing a 3-0 victory over the University of Charleston behind strong pitching and timely hitting.

The Hilltoppers broke through in the fourth inning when Adam Och crossed the plate on a double by Kobe Hill, who was thrown out attempting to stretch it into a triple. West Liberty added two more runs in the sixth as Och drove in Will Balgo with a single up the middle, and Hill followed with an RBI single to right, plating Connor Huzicka.

Hill led the Hilltoppers offensively, going 3-for-3 with two RBIs, while Och added three hits and an RBI of his own. Balgo also contributed with a double and a run scored.

On the mound, Jacob Watson (3-0) delivered a dominant performance, tossing five shutout innings while allowing just three hits and striking out four. Brady Harmon added a scoreless sixth inning, and Drake Dobson earned his first save of the season, closing out the game with a scoreless seventh.

Up next the Hilltoppers visit IUP on Tuesday.