WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — The West Liberty University baseball team battled back from an early deficit but ultimately came up short in the opener of Saturday's doubleheader, falling 8-4 to Salem University at Kovalick Field.
After Salem jumped out to a 4-0 lead through the first three innings, the Hilltoppers responded in a big way in the bottom of the third. Second baseman Ryan Talbert launched a three-run home run to right field—his first of the season—scoring Noah Mildren and Luke Marsh to cut the deficit to just one.
Salem added two more runs in the fourth, but West Liberty stayed in the fight. Talbert once again sparked the offense in the fifth, reaching base and later scoring on a Will Balgo RBI double to make it a 6-4 game.
However, the Tigers tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth, and the Hilltopper bats couldn't generate another rally against Salem reliever Richie Preston, who earned the save.
Offensively, West Liberty tallied 10 hits, led by Balgo (2-for-4, RBI), William Glick (2-for-4), and Luke Marsh (2-for-3). Talbert finished 1-for-2 with 3 RBIs, a home run, and a hit-by-pitch.
On the mound, Chase Lautner (1-5) took the loss after allowing six earned runs over 3.1 innings. Brady Harmon delivered a solid relief appearance, tossing 3.2 innings and giving up just two runs without issuing a walk.
Game 2
West Liberty (19-23) bounced back in dominant fashion in game two of Saturday's doubleheader, rolling to a 12-2 win over Salem University to earn the split at Kovalick Field.
After dropping the opener earlier in the day, the Hilltoppers came out swinging and never let up, racking up 14 hits and scoring 12 unanswered runs following an early 2-2 tie.
West Liberty wasted no time getting on the board, striking in the first inning as William Glick drove in two runs with a single to right field. Though Salem would tie things up in the third, Glick answered right back with a two-run single in the bottom half, reclaiming the lead at 4-2. He added a fifth RBI in the fourth on a sacrifice groundout, giving the DH an impressive 5-RBI performance.
The floodgates opened in the fifth when the Hilltoppers erupted for seven runs, highlighted by Jacob Sherman's three-run homer to right and Adam Och's three-run blast to left. The back-to-back bombs pushed West Liberty's lead to double digits and put the game out of reach.
Will Balgo continued his hot day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and three runs scored, while Ryan Talbert also crossed the plate three times and added three hits and a stolen base. Eight different Hilltoppers recorded hits, and five drove in at least one run.
On the mound, Jacob Watson delivered a strong outing, earning the win to improve to 5-3. He went six innings, allowing just five hits and two earned runs while striking out two. Tanner Pelaez tossed a scoreless seventh in relief to close it out.
The Hilltoppers return to action next weekend with a four-game series against Fairmont State in Morgantown.
