SALEM, W. Va. -- West Virginia State continued postseason play with an offensive outburst against West Liberty, then was unable to hold off Frostburg State in the MEC Tournament.
Against West Liberty, WVSU erased an early deficit with a five-run third inning and never looked back in a 9-5 victory.
Gianna Sloan-Lebron led the offense with four hits and two RBIs, while
Sydney Shamblin added three hits, including a triple, and scored twice.
Autumn Hall drove in two runs and
Emily Bechtel doubled home another as the Yellow Jackets piled up 12 hits.
Hope Sizemore went the distance in the circle to earn the win, working around 12 hits while limiting the Hilltoppers to just two earned runs. WVSU added insurance in the seventh inning when Shamblin, Sloan-Lebron, and Hall each delivered RBI plays to help secure the win to stay alive in the MEC Tournament.
In the second game of the day, West Virginia State battled Frostburg State into extra innings before dropping a heartbreaking 7-6 decision in 11 innings. The Yellow Jackets struck first with two runs in the opening inning after capitalizing on a pair of Frostburg errors, and WVSU regained momentum with a four-run sixth inning to build a 6-3 lead. Hall,
Cassidy Cummings, and
Olivia Bell each drove in runs during the rally, while Shamblin added an RBI and stole two bases in the contest. Cummings finished with four hits, and Bechtel contributed two hits, including a double.
Frostburg State answered late with three runs in the seventh inning, tying the game on a solo home run, a walk, and a two-run home run all with two outs. The teams remained deadlocked through extra innings before Ally Myers delivered a walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the 11th to end the marathon contest.
Hope Sizemore tossed five strong relief innings for WVSU and kept the Yellow Jackets in position throughout the late frames, but Frostburg's offense finally broke through in the final inning. Despite the loss, WVSU showed fight throughout the night, forcing extra innings and threatening multiple times late behind a determined offensive effort.
The loss to the Bobcats concludes the Yellow Jackets 2026 campaign, as they look to carry momentum into next season.
