University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
vs. West Liberty State (WV) College - 04/26/09
Baseball Splits With West Liberty State to Close Out Season
04/26/09...Josh Campanella (Allison Park, Pa.) hit a two-run inside-the-park homerun, and Ben Watkins (Tire Hill, Pa.) tossed five strong innings to lead the Mountain Cats to a 7-3 win over West Liberty State (WV) College in Sunday's opening game of a WVIAC doubleheader at the Point Stadium. The Hilltoppers earned the split with a 10-5 win in game two. Pitt-Johnstown finished with a 29-15 overall record and a 9-7 mark in the WVIAC Northern Division.
In the opener, West Liberty State took a 1-0 first inning lead, but Pitt-Johnstown answered with a pair of runs in both the second and third innings. Drew Shaulis' (Somerset, Pa.) two-run single in the second inning gave the Mountain Cats a 2-1 lead, before Campanella's inside-the park homer scored Matt Staub (Latrobe, Pa.) to increase the lead to 4-1. The Hilltoppers plated two runs in the sixth inning, but Pitt-Johnstown sealed the 7-3 win with three runs in the bottom of the frame.
Campanella went 2-for-2 with two RBI and two runs, and Shaulis added two hits and drove in two. Drew Westover (Flinton, Pa.) also had two RBI.
After giving up a run in the first inning, Watkins settled down and retired 11 of the next 12 Hilltoppers to improve to 7-1. Watkins surrendered just one run on three hits in five innings. Watkins also struck out three and didn't allow a walk in his final outing as a Mountin Cat.
In game two, Pitt-Johnstown raced out to a 5-1 lead after one inning, but West Liberty State scored nine unanswered runs the rest of the way to earn the 10-5 win.
Nick Barbera (Harrisburg, Pa.) and Staub each had three hits in four at-bats, while Matt Hanley (Delmont, Pa.), Andy Rubal (Johnstown, Pa.) and Campanella all had two hits. Westover collected two more RBI.
Kaleb Fleck (Claysburg, Pa.) got the start for Pitt-Johnstown and suffered the loss after giving up six runs on seven hits in four innings of work. Fleck, who fell to 6-2, walked three and fanned five.
With the split, West Liberty State wrapped up the 2009 season with a 9-32 overall record and a 4-12 mark in the WVIAC North.