West Virginia Handles Texas to Take the Series

The West Virginia Mountaineers (22-19, 6-9) took game three and the series against the Texas Longhorns (30-17, 12-6) 8-3.

West Virginia starting pitcher Isaiah Kearns started the game off walking Masen Hibbeler, then Duke Ellis reached first base on a bunt down the third base line.

Kody Clemens advanced both runners with a sacrifice grounder to second base.

Zach Zubia scored Hibbeler on a deep groundball to shortstop Jimmy Galusky but Zubia was safe at first with a throw into the dirt that first baseman Marques Inman couldn’t handle.

Then David Hamilton brought in Ellis on a sacrifice grounder to third starting the game scoring two runs and the Longhorns did it without hitting the ball out of the infield.

Kearns battled but Texas was making plays to start the game “I thought they were pretty good pitches, sometimes that’s how baseball goes. Just bad luck.” Said Kearns.

The Mountaineers put runs on the board in the fourth inning and it started with Darius Hill drawing a walk. Marques Inman hit his second double of the game, putting Hill at third, and then Kyle Gray hit a sacrifice groundball to second advancing Inman and scoring Hill.

Tyler Doanes ripped one into left field to score Inman, then Ivan Gonzalez put the ball into right field for a single and Doanes hustled to third.

Connor Hamilton placed the ball into the gap between short and third to score Doanes capping off a three-run inning for the Mountaineers, taking a 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Kyle Gray doubled down the right field line and Tyler Doanes moved him over to third with a grounder to short.

Gray crossed home plate on a wild pitch from Texas starting pitcher Blair Henley and the Mountaineers extended their lead 4-2.

With one out in the top of the seventh inning, Tate Shaw and Masen Hibbeler both singled up the middle and that would do it for Mountaineers starting pitcher Isaiah Kearns.

Kearns getting to the seventh inning was exactly what the Mountaineers needed. “We needed that to keep our bullpen fresh. He just kept them off balance all day long. They never really did adjust to his changeup very well and that’s his best pitch.” said West Virginia head coach Randy Mazey.

It was a bit cool on top of the hill at Monongalia County Ball Park and Kearns did what he had to do to keep warm. “He sat in the bathroom between innings on a bucket cause the heaters on in there.” Said Mazey.

Kearns Stats:

Tristen Hudson came in with men on first and second. On the first batter he faced, Duke Ellis single through the right side scoring Shaw and moving Hibbeler over to third.