WVU Baseball Quashes Wildcats’ Comeback With Late Rally

WVU Baseball swept their series with Kansas State on Sunday, May 3, winning 13-6 behind a late barrage of home runs after the Wildcats began to threaten.

The Mountaineers (31-12, 16-8 Big 12) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. With runners at the corners, Paul Schoenfeld drew a pickoff throw that sailed wide, allowing Matt Ineich to dart home from third.

Four straight free passes — three walks and a hit batter — from starting pitcher Dawson Montesa allowed the Wildcats to score the tying run in the third, but an RBI double from Schoenfeld put West Virginia back on top in the bottom of the frame. Brodie Kresser singled in one run; Ineich doubled and Sean Smith singled in two more apiece to give the Mountaineers a 7-1 lead in the fourth inning.

Head coach Steve Sabins gave Montesa the hook after four innings, 72 pitches and six strikeouts; the Wildcats got to reliever Carson Estridge toward the end of his own outing, putting two aboard with one out in the eighth. Reese Bassinger entered and promptly gave up a three-run homer, cutting West Virginia’s lead to 7-4. Not to be outdone, the Mountaineers blew the game open in the bottom of the frame.

Kresser and Armani Guzman forced an error off a double steal that allowed one run to cross, and Brock Wills bunted home another. Tyrus Hall, Gavin Kelly and Sean Smith homered to make it 13-4 and, although Bassinger allowed two more runs in the ninth, the Wildcats couldn’t close the gap.

Up next, WVU Baseball will travel to Charleston to take on Marshall at GoMart Ballpark, a neutral venue. That game will begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5.