WVU Baseball Falls to Marshall, Unable to Sweep Season Series

WVU Baseball fell 7-6 to Marshall in walk-off fashion at Charleston’s GoMart Ballpark on Wednesday, April 30, a throwing error with one out and two runners aboard serving as the final nail in the Mountaineers’ coffin.

West Virginia (37-6, 16-3 Big 12) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but the Thundering Herd enjoyed success against the Mountaineers’ pitching staff no matter how many buttons head coach Steve Sabins tried to press. Of the seven West Virginia pitchers to enter the game, four allowed at least one run.

Marshall first baseman AJ Havrilla hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first to cut into the Mountaineers’ lead, then Logan Sauve and Sam White hit consecutive doubles in the third to make it 3-1. The Thundering Herd’s homer party continued in the fourth, when they leapt ahead 4-3 thanks to a two-run shot from catcher Jackson Golden.

Kyle West homered to re-tie the game in the following frame, then the Mountaineers plated a pair of runs in the sixth thanks to a Grant Hussey single and a Brodie Kresser groundout. Golden returned the favor with a two-run single of his own, making it 6-6.

West Virginia began the seventh inning with a pair of singles. A Sauve ground ball advanced Skylar King to third base — at the cost of a double play — then another grounder ended the inning. The Mountaineers didn’t manage another baserunner.

Havrilla drew a four pitch walk in the ninth, took second on a single, then raced home on the error for a walk-off win.

WVU Baseball will be back in action in Morgantown on Friday, May 2, hosting Texas Tech beginning at 6:30 p.m.