WVU Baseball Outlasts Cowboys Behind Jace Rinehart Homer

WVU Baseball opened Big 12 play with a win on Sunday, knocking off the Oklahoma State Cowboys 8-6 in Stillwater.

While he racked up eight strikeouts in just 3.1 innings, the Cowboys managed to chase Mountaineers’ starting pitcher Griffin Kirn from the game early after tagging him for four runs.

However, West Virginia (16-1, 1-0 Big 12) had a well-rested bullpen after high winds and wildfires canceled the first two games of the series. Chase Meyer picked up the win with 3.2 innings in relief, finishing the game and fanning nine Sooners as the Mountaineers’ pitching staff racked up 19 strikeouts.

West Virginia leapt out to a 3-0 lead behind home runs from Gavin Kelly — the first of his collegiate career — and Kyle West, but the Cowboys managed to surge ahead 4-3 with a three run fourth. 

Sam White drew a bases loaded walk to tie the game the following frame, but the else didn’t last long as each team went blow for blow, plating one run apiece in their respective halves of the fifth and sixth innings. 

A RBI single from West made it 5-5, but Skylar King got hosed at the plate as the Sooners cut down the go-ahead run. Oklahoma State then immediately reclaimed the lead with a leadoff homer. White lifted a sacrifice fly to left-center to retie the game, then an opposite field home run from Jace Rinehart put the Mountaineers ahead for good.

Up next, WVU Baseball will host JMU for a two game midweek series starting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18.