North Canton, Ohio - West Liberty secured a 6-4 victory over Walsh in the first game of their doubleheader on Tuesday, building an early lead and holding off a late rally by the Cavaliers.

The Hilltoppers wasted no time getting on the board, striking in the first inning when Kadence Pettit delivered an RBI single to center field, scoring Jillian Morr for a quick 1-0 advantage.

West Liberty added to its lead in the second inning as Paytyn Tucker crossed home plate on a double by Kayla Mancuso. Jaden Conrad followed up with an RBI triple to right center, bringing in Mancuso and pushing the lead to 3-0.

Walsh responded in the bottom half of the second and cut the deficit to 3-1.

The Hilltoppers kept the pressure on in the third inning, capitalizing on a bases-loaded situation. A walk drawn by Tucker forced in a run, followed by another RBI walk from Mancuso. Conrad also worked a bases-loaded walk, extending the West Liberty lead to 6-1.

Walsh made a late push in the seventh inning, making it 6-3. A wild pitch allowed  another run to cross the plate, bringing Walsh within two runs. However, Kadence Pettit stepped in to record the final out and secure the win for West Liberty.

Madison Angus (5-6) earned the win for the Hilltoppers, pitching 6.2 innings while allowing 10 hits, four runs (two earned), and striking out one. Pettit came in for the final out to pick up the save. 

Mancuso and Conrad led the offensive charge for West Liberty, each contributing two RBIs. Tucker also had a strong showing, reaching base three times and adding an RBI of her own. 

Game 2 

West Liberty used a big third inning and a strong pitching performance from Leah Alford to claim a 4-2 victory over Walsh in the second game of their Tuesday doubleheader.

The Hilltoppers struck first in the third inning, putting up four runs to take control of the contest. Leah Alford got things started by reaching base and eventually scoring on a single to left field by Jaden Conrad. Sydney Johnson also crossed home plate on an RBI single from Sara Simon. The scoring surge continued as Jillian Morr came home after a bases-loaded walk drawn by Kadence Pettit, and Alayna Cook capped the inning with an RBI groundout to second, scoring Simon to give West Liberty a commanding 4-0 lead.

Walsh attempted to mount a comeback in the later innings. In the fifth they put a run on the board. They added another run in the sixth cutting the deficit to 4-2.

Despite the late push, Alford (3-2) remained steady in the circle, going the distance for a complete game victory. She allowed just four hits and two earned runs while striking out five over seven innings of work.

Offensively, West Liberty collected nine hits in the contest. Conrad led the way with a 2-for-3 performance, including a double and an RBI. Simon and Cook also contributed RBIs to help secure the win.

The Hilltoppers stay on the road with a pair of weekend doubleheaders at Glenville State Saturday and Concord Sunday.