SALEM, Va. — Just as March Madness brings ups and downs for basketball fans, the Mountain East Conference tournament can be just as heart-wrenching as the Yellow Jacket faithful found out Friday in Salem. The eight teams that made the tournament were informed Thursday night that everyone was playing at the same time starting at 9:00 am, utilizing all four fields of the James I. Moyer Sports Complex. The Yellow Jackets had a tough road ahead, being seeded fourth in the south division and matched up with the north division champion Hilltoppers from West Liberty University. Following the 3-1 upset victory against the Hilltoppers, WVSU then had to match up with Fairmont State. The Falcons avoided elimination bracket relegation in their first game, coming back from a fifth inning 7-0 deficit to win in eight innings. They rode that high to rob several Yellow Jacket hitters of potential RBIs to send WVSU into the elimination bracket, 6-4.
FINAL: WVSU (22-23) 3, WLU (32-20-1) 1
Game three on the MEC tournament bracket was originally scheduled to be a 2:30 pm affair. The two teams put on a pitcher's duel for the fans, with each team surrendering just one hit each way until the bottom of the third when West Liberty scored their lone run following a mishandled throw by Thompson at first base.
The bats remained quiet until the top of the fifth inning. Kerrigan Moore reached on a fielding error by the pitcher with one out. Moore stole second then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Hannah Wilson bunted herself aboard, but Moore was forced to stay at third. Thompson laid down another bunt that was fielded by the catcher. The catcher then chased Moore back to third to load the bases. Paige Scruggs then sent a pitch all the way to the wall in left center, clearing the bases and gave WVSU the 3-1 lead.
WVSU's bats went quiet but West Liberty's did not, firing everything they could, collecting four more hits, but zero more runs.
Kasey Murphy got the win, her 11th on the season, fanning five and walking two.
The Jackets managed just four hits, one each from Wilson, Scruggs, Emma Ruth and K. Moore. Scruggs had all three RBIs.
FINAL: FAIR (20-24) 6, WVSU (22-24) 4
WVSU took the early lead in the first with a Scruggs sacrifice fly, scoring Wilson for Scruggs's first RBI of the game but fourth on the day. Fairmont answered with a 2 run homer to take the lead 2-1.
Scruggs got her only hit of the game in the top of the third, hitting a two-out single down the right field line. She then stole second on the first pitch to Lambert. Lambert hammered a 3-1 pitch into left field that was tracked down by the left fielder who robbed Lambert of a home run of her own. The left fielder crashed through the temporary fence after making the catch.
Fairmont State plated one more in the bottom of the fourth.
Scruggs hit another sac fly to score Wilson in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to one.
An errant throw back to the pitcher after striking out a Fairmont batter allowed Fairmont State to regain the two run lead in the bottom of the fifth.
Emily Moore pinch hit for Abby Loyd and sent a 2 RBI no-doubter over the left field wall to tie it at four-all in the top of the sixth.
Another costly error in the bottom of the sixth allowed Fairmont to regain the two run lead, 6-4.
WVSU had a chance in the top of the seventh with runners on the corners and two out, but couldn't find the gap.
Murphy was charged with the loss, she struck out one in her only inning of work. Emilee Walker picked up six punch-outs in her five-inning start.
Wilson went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Scruggs went 1-for-1 with two RBIs and two sacrifice flies. Murphy and Ruth both went 2-for-4. The Jackets had 11 total hits in the game.
UP NEXT
WVSU will face the winner of the Frostburg State-Notre Dame College elimination game that is still ongoing. That game will be played Saturday at noon at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Va. Live stats and live streaming will be available.
