WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. -- Fairmont State Baseball went a perfect 4-0 on Saturday and Sunday as the Fighting Falcons extended its win streak to seven games. The Maroon and White are now 26-17 on the season and 21-7 in Mountain East Conference contests.
GAME 1 Fairmont State 3, WLU 2
In the first game of the four-game set, the Fighting Falcons found themselves down to 2-0 in the top of the seventh inning. Fairmont State rallied with three runs in the top half of the inning and
Alex Pane shut the door in the bottom of the seventh for the 3-2 win.
Connor Cramer got the start on the mound for the Falcons as went 5.1 innings on the day and only allowed three hits, two runs (zero earned), and two walks. Cramer struck out eight Hilltoppers and received the no-decision on the day.
West Liberty scored in the first and third innings in the contest to take the two-run advantage as WLU's starting pitcher Justin Pennybacker collected eight strikeouts in a quality start on the mound.
In the seventh inning,
Spencer Delawder led off the inning with a single through the left side.
Rafael Ramos grabbed a bat as he drew a walk as Delawder advanced to second base.
Justin Brown laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners up into scoring position with the top of the lineup to follow.
Tyler Haskins collected a walk to load the bases as
Ryan Goff was credited with a RBI after being hit by a pitch. In his first game back in 27 days,
Noah Canterbury reached first base on a throwing error by West Liberty's first baseman as the Falcons took the 3-2 lead.
Pane, in his 12th appearance of the season, collected his second win of the season with back-to-back strikeouts to give Fairmont State the 3-2 victory.
GAME 2 Fairmont State 9, WLU 4
The Falcons scored seven runs in the first four innings as Fairmont State claimed the sweep on Saturday afternoon against the Hilltoppers with a 9-4 win in game two.
Brett Whiteman pitched five full innings the graduate student registered his third win of the season as he struck out six batters in the outing.
Evan McDade and
Steven Ricketts each went one inning in the contest.
Zachary Musgrove got the Falcons on the board first with a two-out home run to left field as Fairmont State held the one-run advantage.
In the top of the second, Fairmont State added two runs as Brown singled through the right field to plate Delawder. Haskins followed with a single through the left side of the infield as Brown came around to score from second as the Falcons led 3-0.
Vince Sabatino broke the game open with a three-run home run to left field to give the Maroon and White a six-run advantage through three innings.
Musgrove continued his solid start on Saturday with an RBI single in the fourth as Fairmont State had a 7-0 advantage.
In the top of the seventh, Musgrove added two more RBIs to his season totals as Fairmont State won 9-4 to wrap up Saturday.
GAME 3 Fairmont State 7, WLU 1
In Sunday's first game of the doubleheader, Musgrove added two more home runs as the Falcons won 7-1.
Logan Smith went the distance for Fairmont State as he had a workman-like effort on the mound in the 7-1 victory. Smith registered three strikeouts as he scattered seven hits and only allowed one run (one earned).
The Falcons got on the board first for the second consecutive game as Musgrove sent a two-run home run over the center-field fence as Fairmont State led 2-0.
Dwayne Thomas put the third run on the board for the Falcons via a fielder's choice as
Ryan Goff scored on the play.
Justin Brown sent a long shot over the center-field fence in the seventh inning as Fairmont State led 4-0.
Musgrove added another home run to his season totals with a two-run shot as Goff touched home plate on the play. Sabatino placed the seventh run on the board with a sacrifice fly as Canterbury touched home plate.
West Liberty scratched one run in the home half of the seventh as Fairmont State collected a series win in the 7-1 decision.
GAME 4 Fairmont State 11, WLU 8
In the second game of the day, the Falcons tallied 11 runs to push past the Hilltoppers in the 11-8 contest. Ricketts earned his fourth win of the season after going one and one-third innings out of the bullpen and registered two strikeouts.
PJ Lanham tripled to the right-center gap as Musgrove and Goff came across to score in the first inning. Delawder continued the two-out scoring for the Falcons as Lanham came around to score. Through one inning, Fairmont State led 3-0.
The Falcons tallied four more runs in the second inning as Haskins hit a RBI single to plate
Dylan Gongola. Canterbury, in his first games back since March 3, homered to give the Falcons the seven-run advantage.
WLU pushed across five runs in the second inning, but Fairmont State added one more in the third inning to regain the three-run lead.
The Falcons plated three runs in the top of the fourth as Gongola doubled to right field to score Lanham.
Ben Taylor came in relief in the sixth inning as collected his third save of the season and lowered his ERA to 1.06, a team-best.
Fairmont State (26-17, 21-7 MEC) returns to the Bridgeport Recreation Complex on Friday, May 6 as the Falcons host Frostburg State in a doubleheader. Fairmont State Athletics will also celebrate the baseball seniors prior to the contests as well.