Box Score
BECKLEY, W.Va. – The Notre Dame Falcons fell in a tightly contested battle at Linda K. Epling Stadium on Friday evening, in a 3-2 loss to the West Virginia State Yellow Jackets in the Mountain East Conference Tournament. 

The loss for the Falcons (28-23) snapped a six-game winning streak, and leaves them with no more wiggle room in the double elimination tournament. West Virginia State (31-13) remained unbeaten in the tournament after the victory. 

West Virginia State scored first, plating a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Trenton Porter started the inning on a base hit, was sacrificed on a bunt over to second, before making his way to third on a passed ball, and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Later in the inning, they added another run on Trayvis Patterson's RBI single through the left side. 

Notre Dame answered with a single run in the bottom of the first, then tied it in the home half of the second inning. Danny Beaver started the first inning with a triple to right-center field, and came around to score on Ross Barker's groundout. Nick Ely began the second inning with a double to left-center, and Austin Barnhart drove him home on a two-out RBI single to right. 

Both teams had chances to score over the next few innings, but neither team could cash in, until the Yellow Jackets scored the eventual game winning run in the top of the sixth inning. Porter reached on a two-out single before stealing second base, and scored on Jamison Jones's RBI single to left. 

Notre Dame left runners stranded in the sixth, seventh, and eighth, before they ran out of chances, and the Yellow Jackets worked a perfect ninth inning to end the game. 

Josh Falbo (9-2) scored the win for the Yellow Jackets, allowing a pair of runs on six hits while fanning five over 7.1 innings of work, and Curtis Johnson (8) grabbed the save, working 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. 

Jake Welch (7-5) pitched well in the loss. He went the distance, tossing all nine innings, while surrendering three runs on 12 hits with three strikeouts. 

Six Falcons hit safely at least once in the contest. Beaver, Ely, Barnhart, Keifer Quick, Julio Rosales and Travis Smetana all recorded hits in the loss. 

The Falcons are in a win or go home situation on Saturday, May 14, when they square off against West Liberty at 3 p.m. in Beckley, W.Va. If they win, they'll play the loser of the Shepherd/WV State game at 7 p.m. on Saturday night.