WVU Baseball Mercy Rules Pitt 11-1 at PNC Park

PITTSBURGH — WVU Baseball made history at PNC Park on Tuesday night, mercy-ruling the Pitt Panthers 11-1 behind two home runs from first baseman Grant Hussey, who set the all-time program record for homers in the process.

The win, West Virginia’s seventh in a row against the Panthers, marked the final chapter of head coach Randy Mazey’s career against the bitter rival, giving him a perfect 6-0 record in the major league ballpark. Catcher Logan Sauve hit a first-pitch double to start the game, coming home on a single from Reed Chumley.

Hussey tied the Mountaineers’ homer record two batters later, hitting a three-run bomb to the opposite field off Panthers’ starter Aidan Coleman.

Shortstop JJ Wetherholt—who grew up half an hour north of Pittsburgh in Mars, Pa.—joined the party in the second inning, lacing a two-run double to left-center to open a 6-0 lead. West Virginia continued to pour it on as the game continued, with Ben Lumsden adding a two-run homer in the third.

Hussey hit the record-breaking blast in the fifth, pulling a 1-2 pitch over the Clemente Wall. That established a ten-run lead, setting the table for a mercy rule win. Sauve tacked on a sacrifice fly RBI soon thereafter.

The Panthers got one back in the bottom of the sixth, with left fielder Justin Fogel taking second base with the help of an error. A groundout pushed him to third before second baseman Tyler Bischke singled him home.

True freshman Joseph Fredericks entered in the seventh to secure the mercy rule win, striking out one batter in a perfect inning.

WVU Baseball improves to 27-17 (14-7 Big 12) on the season. They’ll hit the road to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats this weekend, with the series beginning at 5 p.m. Friday.

Below are some images from the game by Ed Thompson.