MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia State dropped both games of a road doubleheader at Fairmont State on Friday, falling 3-2 and 8-1 in Mountain East Conference play at Dale Miller Field.

Post-Game Records
WVSU: 8-11, 1-5 MEC
Fairmont State: 11-8, 5-1 MEC

Game 1: WVSU 2, Fairmont St. 3

In game one, West Virginia State took a 2-0 lead in the second inning after back-to-back walks to Ryan Fizer and Jake Overaitis set the table. Fizer scored on a throwing error following a fielder's choice, and Nathan Spolarich added an RBI groundout to bring home the second run.

Fairmont State answered with a run in the third and pulled ahead in the fourth on a two-run home run by Michael Johnston. West Virginia State loaded the bases in the sixth but was unable to score, as a key out at the plate helped Fairmont escape the jam.

Starter Luke Hodges went the distance for WVSU, allowing three runs on three hits with nine strikeouts over six innings. He took the loss, falling to 0-3. The Yellow Jackets managed six hits, with Aidan Waters and Ryan Guenther collecting two apiece.

Game 2: WVSU 1, Fairmont St. 8

In the second game, Fairmont State broke open a scoreless contest with a five-run third inning off reliever Jake Nethercut. Quinton Reep delivered the big blow with a grand slam to left, pushing the Falcons ahead 5-0.

West Virginia State's lone run came in the fifth when Fizer reached on an error and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Waters. The Yellow Jackets were limited to three hits in the game, with Guenther, Spolarich, and Nathan Paulsen each contributing one.

Starter Josh Reed threw two scoreless innings before Nethercut (2-1) was tagged with the loss. The Falcons added three more runs in the sixth to seal the win.

Connor Tingler tossed a complete game for Fairmont State, striking out eight and walking three.

Up Next
State continues its weekend road trip with a doubleheader against Frostburg State on Sunday, March 23. Game one is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.