FAIRMONT, W.Va. – The West Liberty University softball team swept a Mountain East Conference North Division doubleheader at Fairmont State on Sunday.
Coach Herb Minch's Hilltoppers (19-12, 9-3) came from behind in both games to pick up a pair of 4-2 wins against the host Falcons (9-13, 5-7) with the second game going nine innings.
In the first game, Fairmont carried a 2-0 lead into the fourth inning but Annie Paterson put WLU on the board with a solo homer in the top of the fourth and Anna Welsh tied it in the fifth with a solo blast of her own.
Katie Beeman broke up the 2-2 deadlock with an RBI double in the top of the sixth and later came home with an insurance run on an infield single by Riley Conkle.
Makenzie Amend got the win with three innings of shutout relief after Taylor Bonnett worked the first four frames. The WLU tandem combined for 10 strikeouts with two walks while holding the hosts to just four hits.
In the second game, Fairmont plated a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 2-1 lead but a 2-out pinch-hit RBI single by the Hilltoppers' Katelynn Blair in the top of the seventh scored Avery Becker to send the game into extra innings.
After a scoreless eighth inning, Jairika Baylor led off the ninth with a double for WLU and scored on an infield error for a 3-2 lead. Sidney Little tacked on an insurance run with an RBI double to center and Amend breezed through the bottom of the ninth to earn her second win of the day.
The Hilltoppers return to the friendly confines of the WLU Softball Complex on Wednesday for a doubleheader against Ohio County rival Wheeling. Game One starts at 4 p.m.
SOFTBALL
West Liberty 4, Fairmont State 2
West Liberty 000 112 0 - 4 6 1
Fairmont State 101 000 0 - 2 4 1
WLU: Bonnett (4SO, 1W), Amend wp (5) (6SO, 1W) and M.Blair. Paterson HR, S, rbi; Welsh HR, rbi; Beeman D, rbi; Conkle S, rbi
FSU: Reed lp (1SO, 0W), Maddy (6) (0SO, 1W) and Wetherholt. Riggs D, S, 2rbi; Workman D
West Liberty 4, Fairmont State 2
West Liberty 000 100 102 - 4 8 1
Fairmont State 000 002 000 - 2 3 2
WLU: Paterson (8SO, 1W), Amend wp (4SO, 0W) and M.Blair, Grace (6). Little D, S, rbi; Baylor D, S; Paterson 2S; Welsh D, rbi; K.Blair S, rbi
FSU: Kassay lp (5SO, 1W), Maddy (9) (0SO, 0W) and Waszkiewicz. Waszkiewicz 2S