WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – Ty Helmke belted a three-run triple in the bottom of the sixth to give the West Liberty baseball team a come-from-behind, 4-2, win against Wheeling Sunday afternoon on Senior Day at Kovalick Field.
The victory gave Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers (12-36, 12-18) a split of the Mountain East Conference doubleheader. The visiting Cardinals (20-27, 16-14) took an 18-4 victory in the first game.
Sunday's twinbill marked the final home appearance for nine West Liberty seniors. Jacob Bolander, Bryan Courts, Jarrett Delbrugge, Connor Ferguson, Logan Grimm, Joey Hess, Isaac Rine, Gaetan Sinisgalli and Justin Studd were honored by Coach Burkle and his staff in a Senior Day ceremony.
Junior righthander Justin Pennybacker stole the spotlight in Game Two. The Hilltopper hurler held the potent Wheeling attack to just two runs on three hits through the first six innings, striking out two and walking four to earn the win. Drake Dobson came out of the bullpen to pitch a 1-2-3 seventh inning for the save.
West Liberty managed just five hits in the game but made the most of them. Jake Sherman had a double and a single while Helmke also had a single to go with his game-winning two-bagger.
In the opener, Wheeling pounded out 19 hits and took advantage of five WLU errors to score multiple runs in five of their seven innings.
Delbrugge singled twice for the Hilltoppers and Kaden Blomquist belted a three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning. Kayne McGee also doubled for the hosts.
The teams close out the regular season on Monday with a doubleheader at the I-470 Complex. Game One is set for a 12:30 p.m. start.
BASEBALL
Wheeling 18, West Liberty 4
Wheeling 362 003 4 – 18 19 1
West Liberty 040 000 0 – 4 4 5
WU: Scudder wp (6SO, 1W) and Cameron. Iazetta D, 3S, 3rbi; Heavilin 3D, 2rbi; Vandiver D, 2S, 4rbi; Rawlins D, S, 2rbi; Cameron 2S, rbi; Skantze T, rbi; Murray S, 2rbi
WLU: Grimm lp (2SO, 3W), Hess (3) (4SO, 3W), Bolander (6) (2SO, 0W), Sinisgalli (7) (0SO, 0W) and Rine. Delbrugge 2S; Blomquist HR, 3rbi; McGee D
West Liberty 4, Wheeling 2
Wheeling 000 002 0 – 2 3 2
West Liberty 001 003 x – 4 5 1
WU: Pillars lp (4SO, 6W), Gussman (6) (1SO, 1W) and Charlton. Cameron D, rbi
WLU: Pennybacker wp (2SO, 4W), Dobson (7) (1SO, 0W) and Rine. Helmke D, S, 3rbi; Sherman D, S, rbi