WASHINGTON, Pa. – The West Liberty University baseball team exploded for 11 runs in the first three innings here Tuesday and kept right on rolling to a 13-10 non-conference victory against California (Pa.) in a scheduled nine-inning game at Wild Things Park.
Coach Eric Burkle’s Hilltoppers (11-22) struck for five runs in the top of the first only to see the host Vulcans (13-13) tie the score at 5-5 heading into the third frame.
The Black and Gold went right back to work in the top of the third, pounding out seven hits to push six runs across the plate and open up an 11-5 lead.
After Zach Hawkins padded the margin to 13-5 with a two-run home run in the top of the fifth, California got back in the game with a five-run uprising in the bottom of the inning but it turned out to be too little, too late.
Stephen Graebe came out of the bullpen to hurl a scoreless seventh inning for WLU. Trevor Thomas took the mound in the eighth and retired the last six Vulcan batters in order to earn the save.
Hawkins paced a 17-hit barrage for the Hilltoppers, driving in five runs with a home run, double and single, while Ty Helmke and Ryan Talbert each smacked out three singles and drove in a run. Brad Goodyear picked up two RBIs with a double and a single while James Salvatori doubled, singled and chased home a run. Noah Mildren had two singles and an RBI while Jake Sherman singled and drove in a pair of runs.
West Liberty returns to Mountain East Conference North Division action on Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Alderson Broaddus.
BASEBALL
West Liberty 506 002 000 – 13 17 0
California (Pa.) 230 005 000 – 10 11 1
WLU: Harmon (1SO, 0W), Winter wp (3) (1SO, 1W), Pelaez (6) (0SO, 0W), Graebe (7) (0SO, 2W), Thomas (8) (0SO, 0W) and Z.Hawkins. Z.Hawkins HR, D, S, 5rbi; Helmke 3S, rbi; Talbert 3S, rbi; Goodyear D, S, 2rbi; Salvatori D, S, rbi; Mildren 2S, rbi; Sherman S, 2rbi
CUP: Muckley (1SO, 0W), Foster lp (2) (0SO, 1W), Bogdan (3) (0SO, 0W), Phillips (6) (0SO, 2W), Valente (6) (3SO, 1W), Lee (9) (0SO, 1W) and Raven. Callahan D, S, 3rbi; Bobin D, S, 2rbi; Walker 2S, 2rbi; Carney 2S; Rockacy HR, 2rbi; Marra D, rbi
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