Helmke Homers Twice in Split at AB
PHILIPPI, W.Va. – Ty Helmke homered for the fourth straight game and the West Liberty University baseball team split a Mountain East Conference doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Alderson Broaddus.
Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (13-14, 11-9) held on for a 10-9 win against the Battlers (9-12, 9-10) in the first game before falling by a 13-3 tally in the nightcap.
Helmke, a sophomore left fielder from Johnstown, Ohio, had gone deep in both ends of Saturday's twinbill and got off to a fast start in Sunday's opener with a solo blast in the top of the first.
West Liberty batted around to score five more runs in the top of the second and eventually took a 10-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh. The hosts took advantage of three WLU errors to make things interesting before Sam Aulick came on to get the final out and earn the save, stranding the tying and winning runs on base.
Colton Coss had three singles and four RBIs for the Black and Gold while Jarret Delbrugge raked out a pair of RBI doubles. Helmke chipped in with an RBI single during the Hilltoppers' five-run second inning.
The second game was all Alderson-Broaddus as the Battlers plated six runs in the bottom of the first, added another score in the second frame and put the game on ice with another six-spot in the third.
West Liberty was held to just four hits - one of which was a solo homer by Helmke in the top of the fifth.
The Hilltoppers return to the Kovalick Field diamond for a weekend series with Frostburg State on Saturday and Sunday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. on both days.
BASEBALL
West Liberty 10, Alderson Broaddus 9
West Liberty 150 010 3 – 10 9 3
Alderson Broaddus 000 022 5 – 9 16 1
WLU: Grimm wp (8SO, 3W), Bolander (6) (1SO, 0W), Aulick (7) (0SO, 0W) and Rine. Coss 3S, 4rbi; Helmke HR, S, 2rbi; Delbrugge 2D, 2rbi
ABU: McSparran lp (1SO, 3W), Knight (2) (1SO, 3W), Cutright (6) (4SO, 1W) and Stewart. Claus HR, D, 2S, 5rbi; Sheets 3S; Casto 3S; Alcorn HR, S, 2rbi; James D, S; Gutierrez S, rbi
Alderson Broaddus 13, West Liberty 3
West Liberty 011 010 0 – 3 4 1
Alderson Broaddus 616 000 x – 13 10 1
WLU: T.Blomquist lp (0SO, 4W), Geis (1) (0SO, 1W), Bernard (2) (1SO, 2W), Sinisgalli (3) (0SO, 2W), Varner (3) (0SO, 0W), Dingel (3) (1SO, 0W), Hurst (6) (2SO, 0W) and Fike. Helmke HR
ABU: Piontka (3SO, 1W), Kirby (3) (3SO, 1W) and Claus. Claus HR, S, 4rbi; Sheets HR, 4rbi; Ballenger S, 2rbi; Comer S, 2rbi