WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty baseball team put on a dominant performance in Game One of their doubleheader, shutting out West Virginia Wesleyan 7-0 behind a stellar outing from starting pitcher Chase Lautner.
Lautner was in complete control on the mound, tossing a complete-game shutout while allowing just three hits and striking out four. He worked efficiently, forcing 10 flyouts and six groundouts to keep the Bobcats off the scoreboard.
The Toppers' offense provided plenty of run support, starting in the first inning when Will Balgo lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Jacob Sherman to give West Liberty a 1-0 lead.
West Liberty extended their lead in the third when Kobe Hill doubled to left center, driving in Balgo to make it 2-0. The bats stayed hot in the fourth as Sherman launched a two-run homer, bringing home Noah Mildren and stretching the lead to 4-0.
The Toppers put the game away in the fifth, plating three more runs. Adam Och smacked a two-run double and later scored on a single up the middle from Hill, capping the scoring at 7-0.
West Liberty's offense collected 12 hits in the game, with Sherman, Balgo, Och, and Hill each driving in multiple runs. On the basepaths, the Toppers stayed aggressive, swiping three bags.
Game 2
The West Liberty (14-10, 6-2) baseball team capped off a dominant doubleheader performance with an 8-1 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan in Game Two, fueled by early offense and strong pitching from Kristopher Skeen.
The Toppers wasted no time jumping on the scoreboard, plating three runs in the first inning. Jacob Sherman scored on a Bobcats error, followed by a Connor Huzicka RBI single up the middle. Adam Och added a sacrifice fly, pushing the lead to 3-0.
West Liberty kept the pressure on in the second when Ryan Talbert launched a two-run home run, scoring Noah Mildren. Will Balgo followed with a solo shot of his own, making it 6-0 after two innings.
The Toppers tacked on two more in the fourth. William Glick doubled to left field to bring home Sherman, and Balgo added an RBI single, pushing the advantage to 8-0.
Skeen was stellar on the mound, tossing six strong innings while allowing just one run on three hits and striking out six. Drake Dobson closed out the game with a perfect seventh inning, striking out two.
Balgo led the offensive charge with a 4-for-4 performance, adding two RBIs and a home run. Talbert scored three runs and drove in two, while Sherman and Glick each contributed multi-hit games.
The Toppers return to action Tuesday when they visit Seton Hill at 3 p.m.
