INSTITUTE, W.Va. -- West Virginia State split a Mountain East Conference softball doubleheader with Point Park on Saturday, dropping a narrow opener before bouncing back with a decisive win in the nightcap in Pittsburgh.

Point Park edged West Virginia State 5-4 in Game 1 despite a strong offensive showing from the Yellow Jackets. WVSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning behind RBI hits from Cassidy Cummings, Emily Bechtel, and Avery Contreras, but Point Park answered with four runs across the first two innings and added another on a solo home run in the fourth. The Yellow Jackets outhit Point Park 12-9 and got multiple hits from Autumn Hall, Clarke Moore, Bechtel, and Contreras, while Olivia Bell added a home run.
WVSU threatened late, cutting the deficit to one on Bell's seventh-inning homer and putting the tying run on base, but a double play ended the rally as Point Park held on.

West Virginia State responded emphatically in Game 2, rolling to a 7-1 victory behind a balanced offensive attack and a complete-game effort from Adrianna Green. The Yellow Jackets broke through with a run in the second before adding two in the third and two more in the fourth to build a comfortable lead. Olivia Bell powered the offense with three hits and three RBIs, including a home run, while Baylee Smith drove in two runs off the bench and Clarke Moore scored twice. WVSU had five doubles to go with Bell's home run to make a total of six extra-base hits on the game. Green controlled the game in the circle, allowing just one run on seven hits while striking out five over seven innings. WVSU finished with 12 hits and capitalized on Point Park's three errors to secure the split.

State rival Charleston will visit Lady Jackets Field on Wednesday, April 22 for a doubleheader starting at 4:00 PM.