INSTITUTE, W.Va. -- Fairmont State and West Virginia State split a Mountain East Conference softball doubleheader on Friday afternoon at Lady Jackets Field in Institute.
 
Fairmont State rallied in the seventh inning of game one to earn a 3-2 win, before dropping a 4-2 setback in game two.
 
Following the split, Fairmont State is now 22-14 overall and 18-12 in league play. WVSU is now 24-10 overall and 23-5 against MEC competition.
 
Game 1
 
West Virginia State struck first in the second inning of game one with a pair of RBI's from Sarah Barrett and Lindsey Phares. Barrett brought home a run on an RBI double, while Phares plated a run on an RBI single to left field.
 
The scored remained the same until the top of the seventh when Emily Riggs put the Falcons on the scoreboard with an RBI single to right field to score Jessie Weaver from third. Courtney Moyer tied the game at 2-2 when she hit a grounder to shortstop and allowed Hannah Workman to cross home plate.
 
Andie Baughman provided the game-winning run for the Falcons on a sacrifice bunt that brought home Haley McDaniel later in the seventh.
 
McDaniel led the Falcons at the plate in game one by going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Weaver hit the only extra-base hit for the Falcons with a double.
 
Caitlyn Kassay (6-2) got the win for the Falcons after not allowing a hit or run during the final seven at-bats for the Yellow Jackets. Kassay struck out four in the win.
 
Game 2
 
In game two after WVSU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, Fairmont State quickly responded when Brooke Schmitt hit an RBI single in the top of the second that scored Hannah Tolle and tied the game at a run apiece (1-1).
 
Fairmont State scored its second run of the game in the top of the fourth when Molly Schweitzer reached on an error and allowed Moyer to cross home plate. However, West Virginia State scored three runs in the fifth, including two as a result of Emma Ruth's home run to put the game away with a 4-2 triumph.
 
Tolle went 2-for-3 at the plate in game two to lead Fairmont State. Moyer doubled for the Falcons.
 
In the circle, Cierra Chastain (8-6) suffered the setback after allowing just one earned run in 4.2 innings of work. She struck out four in the appearance.
 
Fairmont State will wrap up the regular season with a doubleheader at the University of Charleston on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.