No. 24 WVU Baseball Beats Marshall 15-9 Thanks to Late Scoring Burst

The No. 24 ranked WVU baseball team outlasted the Marshall Thundering Herd in a 15-9 track meet Wednesday in Charleston.

The Mountaineers beat Marshall at home last week, securing the season sweep against their in-state rival.

In a back and forth game that saw the score tied on five different occasions after the opening run and saw a team score the go ahead run seven times, the Mountaineers put the Herd away for good with seven runs in the last two innings. 

Left fielder Landon Wallace hit a bunt single with two outs in the second. First baseman Grant Hussey made it 2-0 with a towering home run three pitches later.

The Huss Bus is rolling now!@Grant_Hussey616 goes DEEP to give the Mountaineers the lead!#HailWV pic.twitter.com/VkX2A9JwE8

— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) April 5, 2023

Marshall catcher Chris Noble began the third with a single. After a fielder’s choice, center fielder Luke Edwards homered to tie the game. The Herd loaded the bases with a double, a walk and a single, chasing starter Gavin Van Kempen from the game. Right fielder Calin Smith grounded out to break the tie and take a 3-2 lead. 

Mountaineers third baseman Ellis Garcia led off the fourth with a double. Wallace bunted Garcia over to third, and a throwing error on the play allowed him to score and tie the game 3-3.

Noble homered in the home half of the inning to go up 4-3. 

B3 | CHRIS NOBLE GOES YARD AND PUTS THE HERD BACK ON TOP!

Herd 4, Mountaineers 3#WeAreMarshall pic.twitter.com/gSYg8Z97jV

— Marshall Baseball (@HerdBaseball) April 5, 2023

Second baseman JJ Wetherholt singled in the fifth, and center fielder Braden Barry doubled him home to tie the game again. Right fielder Caleb McNeely drilled a home run to left-center to take a 6-4 lead.

That ball was demolished!@Caleb_McNeely puts WVU back on top with a two-run 💣#HailWV pic.twitter.com/O7B0dejU2b

— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) April 5, 2023

Marshall Commands the Middle Innings

Marshall worked another double, walk and single sequence to load the bases again in the bottom of the fifth. Second baseman Christian Lucio hit a grand slam to right-center to go up 8-6.

B5 | CHRISTIAN LUCIO GRAND SLAM!!! 🤯🤯🤯

Herd 8, Mountaineers 6#WeAreMarshall pic.twitter.com/IG2Odp5WkY

— Marshall Baseball (@HerdBaseball) April 5, 2023

Sam White entered the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh and hit an opposite-field single with two outs. Wallace and Hussey hit back to back doubles to tie the game at eight. 

A single, walk and wild pitch gave the Herd runners on second and third with no outs in the bottom of the inning. Reliever Keegan Allen limited the damage to one run, thanks to a 9-2 missile from McNeely to catcher Dayne Leonard on an RBI single by Noble. 

Mountaineers Take the Lead for Good

The Mountaineers walked the bases loaded to begin the eighth. Leonard hit into a double play to tie the game, and McNeely hit his second home run of the night to go up 11-9. 

CALEB MCNEELY JUST SENT THIS BALL INTO ORBIT!

Seriously, if you are back in Morgantown, watch your heads!

Mountaineers lead, 11-9!#HailWV | @Caleb_McNeely pic.twitter.com/v5tRQv1XRw

— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) April 6, 2023

West Virginia scored four runs with two outs in the ninth. Shortstop Tevin Tucker singled in a run, Barry scored another with a double and Leonard added two more on a single.

Junior reliever Carlson Reed struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to secure the victory.

WVU Baseball moves to 22-7 on the season: the Herd fall to 11-11. The Mountaineers host a three game series with the Kansas Jayhawks next, starting 6:30pm Friday.