WVU Baseball Splits Doubleheader With Charlotte

WVU Baseball split their doubleheader with the Charlotte 49ers on Saturday, claiming the first seven inning contest 8-1 before running out of time to mount a comeback in the second.

Catcher Logan Sauve starred in the first game, hitting a pair of home runs and contributing five RBI, going 4-for-4 and coming a triple away from hitting for the cycle.

Sauve showed that he was locked in early, hitting a solo home run on the first pitch he saw. West Virginia starter Tyler Switalski loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the frame with a single and two walks, but he rebounded to force a strikeout and a groundout to maintain the lead.

First baseman Grant Hussey hit a solo shot of his own to begin the second inning, then two walks set the table for Sauve to single in another run. Sam White walked to load the bases, and Ben Lumsden drew the Mountaineers’ fourth free pass of the inning to make it 4-0.

Sauve hit his second home run in the fourth inning, then Charlotte catcher Rene Lastres hit a homer of his own in the bottom of the frame.

Two singles and an error put a pair of Charlotte baserunners in scoring position in the fifth. A three minute rain delay ensued as showers swept the region, then David Hagaman entered in place of Switalski, inducing a lineout to end the threat.

Spencer Barnett and Skylar King walked to start the sixth, bringing Sauve to the plate with no outs. He ripped a double to the left-center gap to score them, then came around himself on another double from White.

On to Game 2

Sauve picked up where he left off in the second game, doubling to center field on the first pitch of his first at-bat. White drilled a homer off the light pole in right field to give West Virginia a quick 2-0 lead.

49ers left fielder Carson Bayne homered off Mountaineers’ starter Hayden Cooper to open the second. Cooper allowed a double to the next batter, then retired the next three 49ers to prevent any more runs from crossing. Sauve flied out on a payoff pitch in the third, the first time all day that he didn’t manage to make it on base.

Cooper ran into more trouble the next inning, allowing a walk and a single before balking the runners into scoring position. After a sacrifice fly and an infield single, the 49ers came out ahead 3-2. 

White singled and Lumsden walked in the sixth, and Garcia dropped a sacrifice bunt to move them over. Grant Hussey fought back from a 1-2 hole to force a full count, but 49ers reliever Tony Rossi managed to get him looking before punching out Kyle West to end the inning. 

King and Sauve reached with two outs in the seventh, but the Mountaineers couldn’t scrape the tying run across. 

WVU Baseball moves to 4-3 on the season. They’ll look to take their series with the 49ers starting at 1 p.m. Sunday, with Carson Estridge slated to take the mound.