Box Score
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – An eight-run third inning sank the University of Charleston baseball team despite a strong effort with a late inning comeback as West Liberty held on for a 12-10 non-conference victory, Monday afternoon at Triana Field.
Charleston (4-8) put the first runs on the scoreboard on a two RBI single up the middle by freshman Mike Hooper (Brunswick, Md./Brunswick) to plate Nick Barnes (Strasburg, Va./Strasburg) and Igor Molina (Coral Springs, Fla./Coral Springs) for a quick 2-0 advantage.
West Liberty (4-9) did not hesitate to take advantage of a two-out fielding error in the top of the second inning as the Hilltoppers rattled off back-to-back singles after the infield miscue to put three unearned runs on the board and take the 3-2 lead.
In the UC half of the second the home team again took control of the scoreboard as freshman Ryan Foster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) led off with a scorched triple down the right field line before scoring on a passed ball during the next at-bat. Sophomore Ross Easterling (Logan, W.Va./Logan) and Barnes followed Foster’s lead with back-to-back singles before they were both drove home by a two-RBI double down the left field line off the bat of Molina for a 5-3 lead.
The wheels would come off for Charleston starter Stuart Cohen (Cooper City, Fla./Cooper City) in the third inning as WLU finally was able to make something of Cohen’s tricky curveball to hammer out eight hits and eight runs in the inning to take control of the game 11-5. Despite his stat line of 2.1 innings pitched with 11 runs allowed, Cohen pitched a solid outing in his first attempt in a Golden Eagles uniform as two errors led him to throw deeper into the West Liberty lineup than expected.
Hooper would score a single run in the Charleston half of the third after a fielding error on a failed pickoff attempt allowed him to cross the plate to make the score 11-6. After WLU made the score 12-6 in the top of the sixth UC’s bats again woke up against reliever Andrew Hapney as Molina registered his fifth RBI of the afternoon with a three-run homerun to cut the Hilltopper lead to 12-9. The Golden Eagles added another run in the sixth after Corey Hill (Leetonia, Ohio/Crestview) scored on a passed ball after recording a single to left field following the Molina homerun setting the score at 12-10.
West Liberty turned to Michael Reef to quell the offensive threats of Charleston over the final three innings as he allowed just one Golden Eagle base runner in securing the win for the visitors and picking up the save with his efforts.
The University of Charleston was led by Molina who booked a 2-for-4 effort with two runs scored and a game-high five RBIs, while Hooper followed close behind with a 2-for-4 day including a run scored and two RBIs.
WLU was led by the bottom of its order as it eight and nine hitters Carson Koontz and Mike Johnson combined to record four runs scored, three RBIs and go 7-for-8 at the plate.
Charleston returns to action on Tuesday, March 15 for a WVIAC double-header against Alderson-Broaddus with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 pm at Triana Field.
