Washington, Pa. — West Liberty came out swinging in Game One of Saturday's doubleheader at EQT Ballpark, but a big fourth inning from Point Park proved too much to overcome, as the Hilltoppers dropped a 13-5 decision.
West Liberty jumped ahead early, putting up a three-run second inning thanks to clutch two-out hitting. Connor Huzicka opened the scoring, crossing the plate on an infield single from Kobe Hill. Noah Mildren followed with a two-RBI triple to right center, plating Hill and Adam Och to give WLU a 3-0 advantage.
After Point Park answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the second, the Hilltoppers reclaimed the lead in the third. Will Balgo doubled and came around to score on a double from Huzicka, who finished 2-for-4 with a run and RBI.
But that 4-3 lead was short-lived, as Point Park erupted for six runs in the fourth inning, blowing the game open with extra-base hits and aggressive baserunning. West Liberty pitchers struggled to stem the tide, allowing 13 runs on 13 hits overall.
Offensively, WLU totaled eight hits, including a late RBI double from William Glick in the seventh to plate Jacob Sherman for the final run. Mildren led the team with two RBIs, while Hill and Huzicka added one each.
On the mound, Ethan Conley (2-1) took the loss after giving up six earned runs over three innings. Relievers Brady Harmon, Mason Bille, and Noah Neely combined to finish the game.
Game 2
The Toppers couldn't get the bats going in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, falling 6-0 to host Point Park to cap off the two-game set.
The Hilltoppers (16-19, 8-10) were limited to just two hits over seven innings, as Point Park's Ethan Parker went the distance in a complete-game shutout. William Glick and Adam Och tallied the only hits for West Liberty, with Glick's second-inning double standing out as the lone extra-base knock.
On the mound, Tyler Skeen gave West Liberty a solid effort through five innings, scattering eight hits and striking out five. He held Point Park to just two runs over the first three frames before the Pioneers added insurance runs in the fourth and sixth innings. Skeen (3-4) took the loss despite a competitive outing, while Drake Dobson handled the final inning of relief.
Point Park opened the scoring in the first inning with back-to-back RBI doubles and never looked back, tacking on runs in the fourth and a two-run sixth to seal the win.
