WVU Baseball Blows Past Sun Devils in Eighth, Advances to Championship

WVU Baseball advanced to the Big 12 Championship game on Friday, May 22, winning 7-3 with a late-inning rally against No. 3 seed Arizona State in Surprise, Ariz. Heading into the top of the ninth with a four-run lead, closer Dawson Montesa allowed a walk and a single, then rebounded to seal the win at 2:31 a.m. EDT with a trio of fly balls.

The No. 2 seeded Mountaineers (No. 9 overall) advance to face regular season champion Kansas in the conference title game at 7:30 p.m. on May 23.

West Virginia leapt in front early, but Arizona State maintained a lead through the middle innings. Sean Smith doubled to lead off the second inning, charging home on a two-out, two-strike hit from Brodie Kresser.

Sun Devils Strike Back

Mountaineers’ starter Chansen Cole didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning, when Arizona State took the lead in a matter of four pitches with a triple and a home run from right fielder Dean Toigo.

Cole labored throughout the frame, battling for ten pitches to strike out third baseman Austin Roellig; Smith singled in the bottom of the inning, then got erased on the basepaths with a Matt Graveline double play ball. A walk and a single gave the Mountaineers a chance at a two-out rally, but a Brock Wills strikeout kept the Sun Devils in front.

Head coach Steve Sabins mixed things up with left-hander Joshua Surigao, owner of just nine innings on the season — including 0.2 against Arizona State in March — for the sixth inning. Nuu Contrades drew a walk and stole second, moving into scoring position with two outs. Carson Estridge took over for Surigao and issued a full-count walk, the payoff pitch sailing wide; Gavin Kelly couldn’t corral the ball in time to prevent Contrades from racing all the way home. Reese Bassinger went on to slam the door shut with a three-pitch strikeout.

Mountaineers Counterpunch

West Virginia didn’t allow the deficit to fester, immediately striking back with a trio of singles. Once again, Smith got the rally started, this time with his third hit of the game; Graveline put two aboard and Armani Guzman knocked in a run. A wild pitch moved both into scoring position, and Brodie Kresser reestablished the lead on an infield chopper that Sun Devils’ shortstop PJ Moutzouridis spiked short of first.

Zahir Barjam slugged a pinch-hit ground-rule double, holding Kresser to third base, and a pair of strikeouts ended the inning.

Contreras made it to third in the eighth, but Montesa froze Roellig to end the threat. Guzman drew a one-out walk, racing around to score on a Kresser single aided by an error in center, then Kresser scored on a two-out single from Tyrus Hall.

Hall swiped second, forcing an errant throw that allowed him to dart home; Arizona State challenged unsuccessfully, sending the Mountaineers to the ninth with a 7-3 lead that held.

West Virginia will now play for the Big 12 championship.