WVU Baseball Hits Back, Ties Series With 13-7 Win

WVU Baseball tied their series with No. 22 Arizona State on Saturday, March 28, winning 13-7 with the help of a six run second inning.

The No. 17 Mountaineers (18-5, 6-2 Big 12) and Sun Devils traded runs in the first, Sean Smith starting the party with an RBI single. Tyrus Hall plated two with a triple in the second, then came home on a wild pitch; Smith added another RBI single, an extra run crossing on a throwing error as Sun Devils’ mistakes extended the rally, then Brock Wills brought Smith home.

West Virginia continued to press their advantage in the third, Hall and Armani Guzman working a double steal to make it 8-1. The Sun Devils stung starter Maxx Yehl with a two-run homer in the fifth; the junior left-hander went on to log a quality start, going seven innings on 106 pitches. Yehl worked efficiently, striking out just four batters.

Gavin Kelly hit a two-run bomb in the eighth, giving the Mountaineers’ bullpen some much-needed insurance as they began to struggle once again. Arizona State started to threaten with Yehl out of the game, hitting a three-run homer in the ninth, but West Virginia had enough cushion to breeze to victory.

WVU Baseball will play Arizona State at 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 29 in the series rubber match.