West Liberty, W.Va. – The North Division-leading West Liberty University softball team returns to action this weekend with a pair of Mountain East Conference (MEC) road doubleheaders.
The Hilltoppers (18-15, 10-2 MEC) have been on a hot streak, winning 10 of their last 11 games, including a doubleheader sweep over Walsh on Tuesday. They will face Concord (12-19, 7-7 MEC) on Friday at 1 and 3 p.m. at the CU Softball Complex before traveling to Glenville State (19-12, 9-5 MEC) on Saturday for another twin bill at the Sue Morris Sports Complex.
West Liberty enters the weekend with a .279 team batting average on the season, which rises to .329 in conference play—ranking third in the MEC. The Hilltoppers have scored 151 total runs, with a conference-leading 78 of those coming in MEC action. They also top the league in conference RBIs with 72.
In the pitching circle, WLU holds a 3.83 team ERA overall, but that number drops to a conference-best 2.22 in MEC play. The Hilltoppers have allowed the fewest earned runs (25) in league games and rank second in walks allowed (25).
Individually, Sydney Johnson leads the team with a .406 batting average. She has been even more dominant in conference play, hitting .464—good for ninth overall in the MEC. Isabella McKee leads the team with 20 RBIs, including 12 in conference games (fourth in the MEC), while Sara Simon has also driven in 12 runs in MEC action.
On the mound, Kadence Pettit has been outstanding, posting a 2.95 ERA overall and an MEC-best 1.59 ERA in league play. She is a perfect 6-0 in MEC starts and boasts a 9-2 record with six complete games. Madison Angus has also been a key contributor, recording a 2.96 ERA in conference play—ranking ninth in the league.
Concord enters the matchup hitting .290 as a team with a 5.71 ERA, while Glenville State leads the MEC with a .317 team batting average and ranks second in ERA at 3.44.
Last season, West Liberty split its series with Concord, falling 9-5 before bouncing back with a 7-1 win at the Hilltopper Softball Complex. The Toppers will look for redemption against Glenville State, who swept last year's series with 2-0 and 3-0 victories.
