BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – After dropping the first two games of its Mountain East Conference series with West Liberty on Saturday afternoon, Fairmont State recorded a 7-2 win in game one on Sunday to remain in a tie for second place in the Mountain East Conference Northern Division standings. WLU took game two, 9-5, on Sunday to win three of the four games in the series.
With the split, Fairmont State moves to 22-21 overall and 15-13 in MEC games. West Liberty falls to 17-23 overall and 15-13 in the league.
In the first game of the day, Fairmont State scored seven runs in the first four inning of play to take control early. The first run of the game crossed home plate on a WLU error, as Yaksich scored from third. During the next at-bat,
Jordan Sanders hit an RBI doubles down the left field line to make the score 2-0.
After a scoreless second inning,
Tyler Hill,
Darrin Zombro and
Tyler Krantz each drove in runs to push Fairmont State's lead to 5-0 after three inning. Hill and Zombro drove in runs on RBI singles and Krantz doubled down the left field line to score the fifth run of the game.
Fairmont's strong offense continued in the fourth inning, as
Austin Norman blasted a double into deep center field to bring home Yaksich for his second run of the game. Later in the inning, Norman crossed home plate on a wild pitch.
With Fairmont State leading 7-0 after four innings, West Liberty got on the board in the fifth with a pair of runs that made the final score 7-2.
Norman led the Fairmont State bats in game one, going 3-of-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Yaksich and Krantz also recorded a couple hits each in the win.
Caleb Lutjens (2-1) earned the win on the hill for the Falcons, allowing just four hits and two runs (one earned) in five innings of work. Lutjens struck out four batters in the win.
Houston Morris pitched the final two innings of the game for the Falcons, allowing just two hits.
West Liberty took a 3-1 advantage in the series by rallying past Fairmont State with two big innings in game two. The Hilltoppers plated four runs in the fourth and five runs in the sixth to erase a pair of FSU leads in the game.
Fairmont State led 2-0 before West Liberty's 4-run fourth inning, and led 5-4 before the Hilltoppers scored five runs in the sixth inning.
Norman continued his strong play in game two, hitting 2-of-4 with three RBIs and a run scored.
Ben Myers and Hill also chipped in two hits apiece in the setback.
Fairmont State will wrap up the non-conference portion of its schedule on Tuesday afternoon with a doubleheader against Lake Erie College at the Bridgeport Recreation Complex. The opening pitch in game one is set for 12 noon.
