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WVU Baseball Takes Series With 7-4 Comeback Win Against TCU

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WVU Baseball infielder Ellis Garcia slugs a three-run home run against TCU.

WVU Baseball earned a comeback win against the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday, prevailing 7-4. 

The Horned Frogs had a 4-1 lead through five, but the Mountaineers’ offense (which struggled since the middle of Friday’s game) woke up in a big way with a six-run sixth inning. West Virginia’s bullpen stepped up after TCU managed to chase starter Blaine Traxel from the game early.

TCU second baseman Tre Richardson singled with one out in the first, then moved to second on a groundout. First baseman Cole Fontenelle scored him on a double down the right field line that took a favorable bounce out of Mountaineers’ first baseman Grant Hussey’s reach. 

Mountaineers’ shortstop Tevin Tucker led off the bottom of the first with a single. Left fielder Landon Wallace followed that up with a single of his own. Tucker tried to go first to third, but slid past the base and was tagged out, preventing a chance at tying the game. Rodriguez forced designated hitter Dayne Leonard into a double play to end the inning, the start of eight straight batters retired. 

The Horned Frogs doubled their lead in the second. Catcher Karson Bowen began the inning with a single, moving all the way to third on the play as Mountaineers’ center fielder Braden Barry missed the ball twice. Designated hitter Logan Maxwell grounded out to score him. 

Tucker doubled to lead off the fourth. Wallace singled to put runners at the corners, and Leonard hit into another double play that made it 2-1. 

The Horned Frogs managed two hits with two outs in the fifth, sparked by former Mountaineer Austin Davis. After a walk by third baseman Brayden Taylor, Davis singled and stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Bowen singled to go up 4-1. 

The Tide Turns

Five Mountaineers reached base in the sixth before TCU managed an out. Catcher Logan Sauve wore a pitch to begin the inning. Third baseman Sam White tripled down the right field line to score him. Tucker walked and advanced to second on a passed ball, and Wallace singled them home to tie it. Leonard singled, and second baseman Ellis Garcia hit his third home run of the season to put the Mountaineers up 7-4.

Mountaineers’ reliever Aidan Major took over for the seventh. After forcing Davis to ground out to Tucker, Major allowed a double and hit a batter. He then fell behind 3-0 to shortstop Anthony Silva, before fighting back to strike him out. It was a similar story against center fielder Elijah Nunez, who went up 3-0 before flying out to end the inning.

Major allowed one base runner in the final two frames, a two-out single in the eighth, striking out four on the day as he held on for the three inning save.

WVU now moves to 28-11 on the season (7-4 Big 12). They play to sweep the series starting Sunday at 1pm.

Postgame Reaction

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