WEST LIBERTY, W.VA. – West Virginia State Baseball split the day Saturday, dropping their opener with Mountain East Conference foes West Liberty 5-2, but bouncing back to take the nightcap 5-1 at Kovalick Field.
State now sits at 10-11 on the year and 3-7 in MEC play, while West Lib posts a mark of 5-20 and 5-5 in the league.
The Yellow Jackets tallied just four hits in the first game, but responded with 14 in the victory, including three hits each from sophomore Ryan Kay and freshman Dante Zamudio. Zamudio cranked two doubles with a run, while Kay scored twice.
In the finale, junior Nick Loftis earned the victory with a complete game, allowing just five hits will tallying eight punch outs. The seven-inning performance ties for his longest career outing, matching a complete game victory against Wheeling a year ago in the MEC Tournament.
GAME 1: WEST LIBERTY 5, WVSU 2
The Hilltoppers attacked early, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning on four walks, a hit-by-pitch, and a single.
State broke through in the third inning, as Kay led off the inning with a single through the right side, advanced to second on a walk to graduate student Andrew Stone, and came home on a connection from freshman Nathan Paulsen.
WVSU cut the lead in half the following frame after back-to-back doubles from senior Michael Stone and graduate student Andrew Sharp.
WLU added an insurance run in the sixth, sealing the victory at 5-2.
Freshman Riley Vadasz was impressive from the bullpen, tossing four scoreless frames scattering just two hits and tallying two strikeouts.
GAME 2: WVSU 5, WEST LIBERTY 1
Again, West Liberty attacked first, plating a run in the opening frame on a pair of doubles, but State tied the game and took the lead in the third with an insurance run, scoring three times.
The Yellow Jackets once more cranked back-to-back doubles, this time courtesy of Zamudio and Kay. Paulsen then followed with a single, and Mike Stone brought both him and Kay home on a perfectly placed single into right field.
Up 3-1, State added cushion in the fourth, as Kay scored after singling his way on, advancing on another single from Mike Stone, and coming home on a single into center field from Sharp.
The Yellow Jackets pressured heavily, leaving the bases loaded in both the third and fourth innings, and added their final run in the fifth after graduate student Matthew Kline led off with a double and came home on a single from Zamudio.
Michael Stone and Sharp each posted two hits.
UP NEXT
The Yellow Jackets stay up north, heading to Wheeling to face the Cardinals for another twinbill Sunday. First pitch is again slated for 1 p.m., and live stats and video will be available for both contests. Wheeling suffered a doubleheader sweep to Charleston Saturday.
