West Liberty Softball Falls in South Carolina
FLORENCE, S.C. – The No. 24-ranked West Liberty softball team dropped a pair of games here Saturday on the second day of the Patriot Invitational hosted by Francis Marion University.
Coach Herb Minch's Hilltoppers (0-4) saw a late rally fall short in an 8-6 morning loss to Kutztown (Pa.) and came away on the short end of a 4-2 tally against Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) in the afternoon.
In the morning game, the Golden Bears scored in every inning and carried a 7-0 lead into the fifth before the WLU bats rumbled to life.
Two runs in the fifth and four more in the top of the sixth made it a one-run game but the Hilltoppers could come no closer. Kutztown tacked on an insurance tally in the bottom of the sixth and winning pitcher Bridget Bailey retired the side in order in the seventh.
Katie Beeman and Kieran Johnson fueled an 11-hit attack for the Black and Gold. Johnson stroked out three singles, scored a run and drove in another. Beeman doubled and singled to chase home two more runs. Annie Paterson doubled home two runs and Grace Swigart also had a double for WLU.
In the second game, the Bears (12-5) broke up a 1-1 deadlock with a single tally in the bottom of the fourth and tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the fifth. The Black and Gold cut into the lead with a single run in the top of the sixth but left the tying runs on base and went down in order in the top of the seventh.
Annie Paterson had a single and an RBI double to account for two of West Liberty's five hits. Grace Swigart singled home the Hilltoppers' first run in the top of the fourth.
West Liberty closes out its southern swing on Sunday with a noon game against host Francis Marion.
SOFTBALL
(at Florence, S.C.)
Kutztown 8, West Liberty 6
West Liberty 000 024 0 - 6 11 3
Kutztown 321 111 x - 8 10 1
WLU: Bennington lp (2SO, 0W), Bonnett (3) (4SO, 2W), Paterson (5) (3SO, 0W) and Blair. Johnson 3S, rbi; Beeman D, S, 2rbi; Paterson D, 2rbi; Swigart D
KU: Bailey wp (9SO, 2W) and Harvat. Stocklin D, 2S, rbi; Ostazewski D, 2S, rbi; Auvil 2S, rbi; Lipowski HR, 3rbi
Lenoir-Rhyne 4, West Liberty 2
West Liberty 000 101 0 - 2 5 1
Lenoir-Rhyne 100 120 x - 4 5 2
WLU: Amend lp (5SO, 3W), Paterson (4) (1SO, 2W) and McCroskey. Paterson D, S, rbi; Swigart S, rbi
LRU: Heavner wp (3SO, 1W), Rakes (2SO, 0W) and Leonhardt. Mardigian 2D, rbi; Jennings 2S, rbi