Pictured from left are Kieran Johnson, Kat Donzella, Makenzie Amend and Laral Saunders.

West Liberty University is on fire in its quest to capture an NCAA softball title, and Wheeling Park High School graduates have been a key to the team’s success.

The Hilltoppers won 7-0 today over East Stroudsburg University in the NCAA Atlantic Regional Tournament in Kutztown, Pa. Wheeling Park graduate Makenzie Amend was the game’s winning pitcher striking out 10 batters in six innings. Amend, the Mountain East Conference (MEC) “Pitcher of the Year,” is expected to take the mound tomorrow as West Liberty takes on Kutztown University.

West Liberty is now 36-15 on the season, and a trio of Patriot student athletes are leading the way for the Hilltoppers. Amend has a 1.15 ERA and holds opposing batters to a .148 average. Junior catcher Kat Donzella was named this year’s MEC “Player of the Year.” She’s hitting .461 and leads West Liberty in home runs with 10 and doubles with 18. Junior infielder Laral Saunders has six doubles on the season, and she is a three-time member of the “MEC All-Academic Team.”

West Liberty outfielder Katie Beeman hit a homerun in today’s victory, and she is no stranger to Wheeling Park High School. She is currently a substitute teacher at the Palace on the Hill. Park graduates and Hilltopper freshmen Mahayla McCrosky and Kieran Johnson are also members of the West Liberty softball team. McCrosky is a catcher and Johnson is an infielder.

The West Liberty University Softball team is also led by a former Wheeling Park Patriot. Head Coach Herb Minch is a 1985 graduate of Wheeling Park High School, and he is a 1989 graduate of West Liberty. He’s served as West Liberty’s softball coach for nearly 25 years, and he was inducted into the West Liberty University Hall of Fame in 2004.

#experienceTHEPARK