Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
AVON, Ohio – The Notre Dame Falcons used a number of big two out hits to take the first game of a double header against West Liberty, as they split the Thursday twin bill at All Pro Freight Stadium.   

The Falcons (17-15, 15-12 MEC) scored four times with two outs in the sixth inning of the opening contest to come back and win, 7-4, while the Hilltoppers (21-16, 18-11) scored early and often, mounting a 5-0 lead after two innings to take the finale, 7-1.   

Game One: 
It was an arms race early on, as neither team was able to record a hit until the bottom of the third inning, when Danny Beaver belted a base hit with one on and one out. Later in the inning, Keifer Quick walked to load the bases, and Ryan Sanders followed with his seventh two-bagger of the season, a bases clearing, three-run double to give NDC a 3-0 advantage. 

The lead didn't last long, as the Hilltoppers answered with three in the top of the fourth inning. West Liberty had two on with one out, when Anthony Pierro belted a two-run triple to the gap in left center, and he scored a few moments later on a passed ball to tie the game. 

West Liberty took the lead in the top of the fifth inning. DJ Busby started the inning with a single, and made his way to second on Jon-Michael Brunner's sac bunt, before scoring the go ahead run on Tim Mirandy's single down the line in left. 

The Falcons regained the lead with a little two-out thunder in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring four times on five consecutive two-out hits. Mike Ferguson kept the inning alive with a two-out double down the left field line to put runners on second and third, setting up a clutch, two-run single from Beaver to give NDC a 5-4 advantage. Beaver stole second, and came home moments later on a run scoring single from TJ Lett. Lett's RBI single was followed by Quick's base knock back up the middle, and Sanders drove in the final run on a single to left, giving him four RBIs in the game. 

Zack LaRocca (2-3) earned the victory, after allowing four runs, three earned on just four hits while striking out two. Simon Davis (2) scored the save after tossing  a perfect seventh inning to preserve the victory. Bruce Knisely (1-3) took the loss after surrendering four runs on five hits over two innings of relief. 

Game Two: 
The Hilltoppers seized control of the second game early on and never trailed.  They scored in the top of the first inning on Scott Castillow's RBI single, before plating four runs in the second to pull away. 

Three straight hits began the big second inning for the Hilltoppers as Brunner's RBI double plated the first run of the big frame. Busby drove in the next run on a sac fly, before an error and another RBI base hit plated the next two runs of the contest. 

West Liberty plated two more runs in the top of the fourth, before the Falcons scored their lone run of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Quick began the inning with a double to right, advanced to third on a two-bagger from Andrew Hurd, and scored on Shane DeFranco's sac fly.  

Greg Stagani (3-1) scored the victory for the Hilltoppers in game two, allowing just a run on four hits while fanning five in five innings of action.  Kenny Gorski (1-1) took the loss after surrendering five runs, only two earned on six hits over 1.2 innings of work. 

The top four batters in the NDC batting order hit safely at least once in game one, and three of those batters (Beaver, Sanders and Lett) hit safely twice.  Quick led the charge for NDC offensively, hitting safely in both games as he went 3-for-6 on the afternoon with a pair of runs scored. 

The Falcons are in action again home, on Friday, April 18. They'll take on West Virginia State at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio, and the first pitch in game one will be delivered at 1 p.m.