WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University softball team is headed to the Mountain East Conference Championship game and will square off against the University of Charleston on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the James I. Moyer Complex in Salem, Va.

The Hilltoppers punched their ticket to the title game with a thrilling 4-3, extra-inning victory over Fairmont State on Friday. That win sent the Falcons to the elimination bracket, where Charleston shut them out, 3-0, to earn a rematch with West Liberty.

Charleston enters the championship as the two-time defending MEC champion, claiming titles in 2023 and 2024. West Liberty, meanwhile, returns to the final for the first time since 2021, when they last claimed the conference crown. The Hilltoppers are seeking their third MEC title in program history, with previous championships in 2019 and 2021.

The two teams split their regular-season doubleheader on March 21 at the Hilltopper Softball Complex. Charleston took the opener in 10 innings, 4-3, while West Liberty answered with a 10-5 win in the nightcap.

West Liberty has posted a perfect 3-0 record so far in the MEC Tournament, with two of those wins coming in extra innings. Charleston's path to the final has been longer, going 4-1 in tournament play. After opening with an 8-1 win over Point Park, the Golden Eagles fell 5-1 to Fairmont State. Facing elimination, they bounced back with a 12-6 win over Davis & Elkins on Thursday, then posted back-to-back 3-0 victories over Glenville State and Fairmont State on Friday.

Interestingly, the Hilltoppers have already defeated all three teams Charleston needed to beat to stay alive.

West Liberty needs just one win to capture the championship. Charleston must win twice on Saturday to secure a three-peat.