SALEM, Va. – The West Virginia State University softball team was defeated twice by West Liberty in the MEC Tournament final on Sunday afternoon at the James I. Moyer Sports Complex. The Yellow Jackets were edged after nine innings in the first game, 3-2, before they let the second game slip away late, 4-1.  

Game 1: WLU 3, WVSU 2, Final/9

• Each team collected five hits through nine innings in a game that was pegged as a pitcher's duel from the onset.
• The Yellow Jackets took the lead in the fourth before the game was tied up in the sixth.
• Only two of Kasey Murphy's runs were earned and here nine strikeouts set a new career-high for the junior hurler.

Quick Recap

A throwing error in the top of the first allowed a run to score for West Liberty, 1-0.

The next run scored in the game came in the bottom of the fourth. Paige Scruggs drew a walk to reach base before Emma Ruth banged a double up against the fence in left center to score Scruggs all the way from first, 1-1. Ruth advanced to third base on the throw to the plate so that, when Madison Rafuson singled up the middle, she was able to reach home base, 2-1. The bases were loaded up with one out later in the half inning, but no further scoring was accomplished.

The Yellow Jackets were five outs away from winning the championship when West Liberty's Katie Beeman hit a solo homerun in the top of the sixth to tie the score, 2-2.

West Virginia State was unable to produce a go-ahead run in the next 2.5 frames as the game went into extra innings.  In the top of the ninth, the Hilltoppers came up with another solo homerun to take the lead, 3-2.

Murphy doubled with one out in the bottom of the ninth and then moved over to third base on a groundout. A strikeout in the last at bat ended the first game and made a second game necessary in the double elimination formatted tournament.

Game 2: WLU 4, WVSU 1, Final/7

• Linsey Phares and Kasey Murphy were the only two Yellow Jackets to produce hits in the second game. Phares went 2-for-3 with a double while Murphy went 2-for-3 with a homerun.
• The Hilltoppers picked up 12 hits in the contest but were unable to score until the fifth inning.
• West Liberty's Kat Donzella went 3-for-4 with a double, one RBI, and two runs scored to lead the Hilltoppers.

Quick Recap

Kasey Murphy homered to dead center in the bottom of the second to give the Yellow Jackets the early lead, 1-0. West Virginia State held on to the one-run lead until the fifth inning.

In the top of the fifth, Donzella hit an RBI-double to left center and then stole home later in the half inning to put WLU on top, 2-1.

West Virginia State did not threaten in the fifth or sixth innings, but still only trailed by one run going into the seventh.

In the top of the seventh, Donzella scored again on a sacrifice fly before an RBI-single left a three-run deficit for the Yellow Jackets to make up in their last time to bat.

Murphy reached base with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but two straight strikeouts meant that West Liberty was crowned 2021 MEC Tournament champions.

Up Next
While West Virginia State did not earn an automatic bid to the NCAA DII Atlantic Region Tournament, the Yellow Jackets still have a good shot to make regionals. They were ranked No. 5 in the latest regional poll and their deep run in the conference tournament should help their chances of earning an at-large bid.

Other News
Four Yellow Jackets were named to the All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the final. Paige Scruggs, Autumn Thompson, Emma Ruth, and Kasey Murphy were all recognized for their outstanding performances over the three-day tournament.