No. 23 Mountaineers Take Series Over Kansas

After winning game one of a doubleheader on a walk-off homerun from Marcus Inman, the No. 23 West Virginia Mountaineers (24-13, 8-6) again had another walk-off but in a more peculiar fashion.

Starting pitcher Jackson Wolfe kept the Kansas Jayhawks (19-18, 4-10) off the board through five innings, until Nolan Metcalf put one over the left-centerfield wall in the sixth giving KU their first lead of the series.

Paul McIntosh answered in the bottom of the inning with a one out solo shot over leftfield and that may have saved the game for the Mountaineers.

A storm rolled in that produced quarter sized hail and with lightening in the area, they delayed the game for two hours and 40. If McIntosh doesn’t tie the game, they may have called the game and the series would be 1-1 heading into Sunday, because there didn’t look to be an end in sight.

After the delay, Nick Snyder took the mound and after giving up a double, shutdown the Jayhawks.

The Mountaineers regained the lead in the eight after Darius Hill drew a lead-off walk, Marcus Inman singled on a hard ground ball through the gap on the right side, moving Hill to third, then a wild pitch from Nathan Barry scored Hill.

Still in the bottom of the eighth and now with two outs, Phillip Dull drove in a pinch running Tristan Hudson from second base on a sharp ground ball to leftfield giving the Mountaineers a 3-1 lead.

In the top of the ninth, Nick Snyder put two on, hitting a batter and giving up a single to Benjamins Sems that put runners at first and second with one out. WVU head coach Randy Mazey made a trip to the mound to bring in his closer Sam Kessler.

Kessler struck out Skyler Messinger, but a wild pitch put the runners in scoring position. Then on a 1-2 count, Rudy Karre singled back up the middle, clearing the bases and tying the game at three.

The rain started to come back in the 11^th with a light drizzle and it seemingly fired up the Mountaineers. A one out single from Brandon White followed up by a single from Darius Hill moved White 90-feet away from home plate and a wild pitch from Blakes Goldberry brought White in for the walk-off.

“Just when I thought there was no way to have a less exciting walk-off than a four-pitch walk, here comes a walk-off past ball with a man on third, but who cares. It’s so hard to win a doubleheader no matter who you play.” Stated Mazey.

West Virginia will look to sweep Kansas in game three inside Monongalia County Ballpark Sunday afternoon at 1:00 pm est.