WVU Baseball Pitching Continues to Roll in 9-1 Win

WVU Baseball won their third game in a row on Saturday, Feb. 28, defeating the Kennesaw State Owls 9-1 behind a four-hit performance from their pitching staff.

The Mountaineers (8-1) jumped on Owls’ starter Ty Bayer in the first inning. Matt Ineich drew a leadoff walk, Gavin Kelly doubled him into scoring position, and an Armani Guzman sacrifice fly brought Ineich home. Kelly reached base five times on the day, doubling and walking twice.

Ben Lumsden added an RBI single in the second and a passed ball pushed the lead to 3-0; junior college transfer third baseman Tyrus Hall led off the fourth with his first home run of the season and managed three hits from the nine hole, turning the order around for the  and West Virginia starter Chansen Cole retired the first ten batters he faced, striking out five in five innings and needing just 68 pitches to complete his day. Reese Bassinger churned through two innings in relief of Cole, fanning two batters on an economical 24 pitches.

The Mountaineers loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth, setting up RBI singles from Matthew Graveline and Paul Schoenfeld. Kennesaw State stung sophomore right-hander Bryant Yoak for a solo home run in the bottom of the frame, and West Virginia piled on two more runs in the ninth for good measure, both coming on a Guzman single.

WVU Baseball will look to sweep the Owls at 12 p.m. on Sunday, March 1.