WVU Baseball Salvages Series with 12-3 Win Over Kansas

WVU Baseball avoided a sweep at the hands of the Kansas Jayhawks, winning 12-3 Sunday.

After the Mountaineers’ offense spotted him an early 5-1 lead, true freshman Robby Porco cruised through six innings on 110 pitches, allowing three hits and punching out 12 batters. 

The Jayhawks’ first three batters reached via error, plating a run. Porco bookended a groundout between two strikeouts to limit the damage to one run. 

Big First Inning

Second baseman JJ Wetherholt singled to begin the home half of the first. Kansas starter Ethan Bradford hit left fielder Landon Wallace and catcher Dayne Leonard with pitches to load the bases. Bradford then issued walks to right fielder Caleb McNeely and center fielder Braden Barry to put the Mountaineers up 2-1.

First baseman Grant Hussey singled in another run, prompting Kansas head coach Dan Fitzgerald to pull Bradford for right-hander Hunter Cashero. Cashero’s first pitch hit designated hitter Logan Sauve to score a fourth run, and shortstop Tevin Tucker beat the throw on a fielder’s choice to make it 5-1. 

Mountaineers Hit Cruise Control

Porco allowed a solo home run to first baseman Cole Elvis in the third as Kansas closed the gap to 5-2.

Wallace hit a solo homer of his own to the opposite field in the fourth. 

💪💪@landonwallace goes oppo for his fourth home run of the season!#HailWV pic.twitter.com/iEhiuwLksj

— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) April 9, 2023

McNeely reached on a throwing error with two outs, moving up to second on the play. Barry doubled him home to go up 7-2.

Porco struck out the side in the fifth, sending a pair of Jayhawks down looking. 

The Mountaineers scored one run apiece in the sixth and seventh on a pair of solo home runs. Wallace hit his second opposite field shot of the day in the sixth, and Hussey hit a homer of his own to straightaway center in the seventh to make it 9-2. 

Told you he's on 🔥🔥@landonwallace with his second home run of the game!#HailWV pic.twitter.com/LPDNSDcDXE

— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) April 9, 2023

Mountaineers’ true freshman pitcher Carson Estridge took over for the seventh and pitched the last three innings, allowing one run.

Kansas got one back in the eighth on a home run from designated hitter Janson Reeder. The Mountaineers added three runs of their own on a Wallace groundout and doubles from McNeely and Barry. 

WVU baseball moves to 23-9 on the season (3-3 Big 12). The Mountaineers head to Penn State on Tuesday to face off against the Nittany Lions at 6pm.

Postgame Reaction