Charleston Leader

West Virginia State's softball team split with West Liberty University on Saturday afternoon at Wheeling Park High School, falling in game one, 7-4 before rallying and winning game two, 6-1. Kasey Murphy was charged with the loss in game one while Autumn Thompson threw the complete game victory in game two.

Post-Game Records
WVSU: 10-9 (4-2 MEC)
West Liberty: 6-20 (2-4 MEC)

Game one: West Liberty 7, West Virginia State 4
The Yellow Jackets struck first in the top of the first, with Emma Ruth leading off with a double into right field. A sac bunt by Addi Dillow and a sac fly by Autumn Thompson pushed Ruth across the plate, 1-0. Emma Pauley hit a solo home run in the second to push the score to 2-0. 

An RBI single and an RBI triple by West Liberty in the bottom of the second evened up the score, 2-2.

State plated two more runs with Kerigan Moore reaching base on an error and Emma Pauley hitting a left field double to bring her home. Ruth stole third and Autumn Thompson hit an RBI single into center field to score her, 4-2.

West Liberty took the lead for good in the bottom of the third with a two RBI double and an RBI ground out, 5-4. 

The Hilltoppers tacked on one more run in each of the fifth and sixth innings for the final score. 

The Hilltoppers committed six errors in the game and State got eight base hits, but left eight runners stranded on the basepaths. 

Ruth went 3-for-4 with two runs and two doubles. Thompson went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a sac fly. Pauley with 2-for-3 with a home run. Murphy struck out three in the loss.

Game two: West Virginia State 6, West Liberty 1
Emma Ruth led off game two by reaching on an error by the third baseman, then a sac bunt by Olivia McClain went awry for the West Liberty third baseman and allowed Ruth to get to third. McClain then attempted to steal second but got caught and allowed Ruth to score. Thompson hit a homer the very next at-bat, 2-0.

West Liberty had runners on in the bottom half, but failed to score.

Ruth again got on base, this time via single and stole second base. McClain hit a come-backer that allowed Ruth to come home, 3-0.

The Hilltoppers scored their lone run in the bottom of the third.

Neither team scored in the fourth, fifth, or sixth innings.

Thompson finished the Yellow Jacket scoring with a 3 RBI home run in the top of the seventh inning, scoring Ruth and Moore. 

Ruth went 2-for-4 with three runs. Thompson was 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBIs. State had nine hits in the game, all singles except for Thompson's three-run shot in the seventh. Thompson struck out four Hilltopper batters in the winning effort.

Up Next
West Virginia State will stay in Wheeling for a doubleheader against the Wheeling University Cardinals on Sunday. The first game is scheduled for a 1:00 pm start 

Original source can be found here