BUCKHANNON — After coming off a doubleheader against Wheeling University Sunday, the West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats took on West Liberty University in another Mountain East Conference duel on Monday in Buckhannon and split with a 9-0 loss and 10-8 victory.
West Liberty took complete control of the first game as the Hilltoppers combined for a total of 15 hits and nine runs.
Pitcher Tanner Pelaez kept the Bobcats silent as he threw a complete game shutout to lead the Hilltoppers in victory.
Standouts for West Liberty included James Salvatori who blasted two, two-run homers, Brad Goodyear who went 2-2 with a solo homer, and Ryan Talbert who finished 3-4 with two runs and an RBI.
Wesleyan, who was left scoreless, accumulated just four hits, including a double from Matt Turner.
Broderick Rohrbaugh did not have the best outing as he gave up 11 hits and four earned runs and was tallied as the losing pitcher for the first game.
The Bobcats seemed to take the first game personally as Wesleyan came out hot in the bottom of the first, putting six runs up on a one-run double from Cole Shearer, a grand slam from Josh Ayala and one-run single from Jack Tilton.
West Liberty started to crawl back by putting up a one run in the top of the second and two runs in the top of the third, making it 6-3.
Wesleyan added some insurance in the bottom of the third with a two-run triple from Luke Burner, and a walk with the bases loaded to make it 9-3.
After keeping the Hilltoppers quiet in the top of the fourth, Ryan Drag smacked a triple and was able to score on a passed ball to make it 10-3.
With one run scored in the top of the sixth to make it 10-4, West Liberty mounted a tiny comeback scoring four more runs in the top of the seventh but came up short to give the Bobcats the 10-8 victory.
Hunter Eplin got the win after throwing six innings and Anthony Hernandez closed out the game. Evan Barnes got the loss for West Liberty.
Wesleyan moves to 4-2 in the conference and travels to Frostburg State University for a doubleheader on Friday, Mar. 29 at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
