WVU Baseball Stays Alive, Beating Ball State 13-5

WVU Baseball kept their season alive Saturday with an offensive explosion, eliminating Ball State in a 13-5 win.

The game nearly spiraled out of control like it had the night before, as Ball State put up four two-out runs in the third. West Virginia steadied themselves, though, shutting down the Cardinals over the last six innings on the way to their first tournament game win since 2019.

Head coach Randy Mazey shuffled the Mountaineers’ lineup, putting shortstop Tevin Tucker back in the nine-hole. Tucker reached base in all five plate appearances, adding two RBI and turning the order over to great success as West Virginia found the offensive punch they lacked in recent weeks.

Early Miscues 

Mountaineers’ third baseman Ellis Garcia committed a throwing error in the second, and a single gave Ball State a 1-0 lead. 

Garcia bounced back fast, though, leading off the third with a single. Shortstop Tevin Tucker reached on an error, and second baseman JJ Wetherholt lifted a fly ball to center field to take a 3-1 lead.

Such a beautiful sight to see!#HailWV | @jj_wetherholt pic.twitter.com/rGic80d7Bx

— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) June 3, 2023

Starter Ben Hampton retired the first two batters of the bottom of the third with ease and was a strike from ending the inning when Ball State shortstop Adam Tellier laced a 1-2 pitch to the left-center gap for a double.

Ball State then hit five straight singles, leaping ahead 5-3 before Hampton worked a lineout to end the inning.

Catcher Dayne Leonard hit a solo homer in the fourth and Garcia jumped on the first pitch he saw, pushing it into the left field corner for a double. 

Tucker reached on a bunt single to move Garcia over, and Wetherholt grounded out to tie the game.

Designated hitter (and backup catcher) Logan Sauve homered to right with a ball that caught the wind as the Mountaineers’ backstops keyed a 7-5 lead.

A good day to be a WVU catcher!@SauveLogan puts the Mountaineers back in front with a two-run homer!#HailWV pic.twitter.com/LQ7HAvXtac

— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) June 3, 2023

Major Steadies the Ship

Reliever Aidan Major took over for Hampton in the fourth, pitching five one-hit innings and striking out eight batters.

Right fielder Caleb McNeely began the fifth with a double, but the Mountaineers couldn’t advance him.  

First baseman Grant Hussey hit a solo homer in the seventh to give West Virginia an 8-5 cushion.

When @Grant_Hussey616 gets ahold of one, it goes far!#HailWV pic.twitter.com/sEph3ZjfXZ

— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) June 3, 2023

West Virginia loaded the bases in the ninth. Leonard hit a two-run single, Tucker hit a two-run double and Sauve made it 13-5 with a single of his own.

Reliever Noah Short pitched a clean bottom of the ninth to slam the door shut.

WVU Baseball advances to face the loser of tonight’s game between Kentucky and Indiana at noon tomorrow.