WVU Baseball Sweeps Dukes Thanks to Sam White’s Steal of Home

WVU Baseball claimed a 3-1 pitcher’s duel over the JMU Dukes on Wednesday, March 19, riding five innings of one-run ball from David Hagen and another shutdown performance from the bullpen to victory.

The Dukes leapt out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a solo shot from left fielder Kyle Langley. West Virginia (18-1, 1-0 Big 12) drew even in the third after Kyle West sparked a rally with an infield single. Grant Hussey doubled to put a pair of runners in scoring position, then Brodie Kresser lifted a sacrifice fly to right to bring West home.

Sam White walked and Jace Reinhart drew a hit by pitch to begin the fourth, but a Gavin Kelly bunt attempt popped up, allowing Dukes’ third baseman Wyatt Peifer to catch it cleanly. Skylar King singled to shallow center — preventing White from scoring from second — to load the bases, then Chase Swain struck out to put the rally in grave danger of fizzling out.

Instead, White and Reinhart worked a double steal, the latter taking off for third and causing Dukes’ catcher Jack Cannizzaro to freeze just long enough for White to slide safely home, stealing the eventual winning run. A wild pitch let Rinehart score soon thereafter.

🚨 STRAIGHT STEAL OF HOME 🚨

Sam White dives in safely!

B5 | Mountaineers 2, Dukes 1 pic.twitter.com/2gn1KRRe3F

— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) March 19, 2025

Reese Bassinger entered for Hagen in the sixth inning and allowed a leadoff double, then erased it himself with a pickoff move. Jack Kartsonas spelled him with one out in the eighth, striking out four of the five batters he faced on an efficient 20 pitches to send the Dukes packing.

WVU Baseball will return to action at Kendrick Family Ballpark at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 21, hosting the Arizona Wildcats in their Big 12 home opener.