ATHENS, W.Va. – A tough fifth inning proved costly for West Liberty in the opening game of its doubleheader against Concord, as the Hilltoppers fell 8-0 on Sunday.
The game remained scoreless through the first four innings before Concord broke through in the fifth, putting up seven runs in a decisive offensive surge.
Chase Lautner (1-2) started on the mound for West Liberty and pitched four solid innings before running into trouble in the fifth, allowing four earned runs on four hits. Drake Dobson entered in relief but was unable to slow Concord's momentum, surrendering four more runs without recording an out. Ryan Clark finished the game with two scoreless innings for the Hilltoppers.
Offensively, West Liberty struggled to generate any momentum, managing just two hits in the game. William Glick recorded a double, while Will Balgo added a single, but the Hilltoppers were unable to push a run across against Concord.
Game 2
West Liberty jumped out to an early lead, but Concord used a big fourth inning to rally past the Hilltoppers for an 11-7 victory in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader.
The Hilltoppers came out swinging in the first inning, scoring five runs on a combination of clutch hits and patience at the plate. William Glick got things started with an RBI single, followed by bases-loaded walks from Adam Och and Kobe Hill. Luke Marsh capped the inning with a ground-rule double, plating two more runs to give West Liberty a commanding 5-0 lead.
Concord chipped away at the deficit with two runs in the third and erupted for five more in the fourth to take the lead and pull ahead 7-5.
West Liberty fought back in the fifth when Hill delivered an RBI triple and later scored on Marsh's groundout to tie the game at 7-7. However, Concord quickly responded in the bottom half with two more runs before tacking on insurance in the sixth to secure the win.
Hill led the Hilltoppers at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a triple. Marsh also had a strong showing with three RBIs, while Och added a triple of his own.
Kristopher Skeen (3-2) took the loss on the mound after allowing eight runs (five earned) over 3.2 innings.
The Toppers will host Frostburg State next Saturday.
