WVU comes up short against No. 23 Oklahoma

Morgantown, WV – The West Virginia Mountaineers (14-11) drop game one of a three game series to the No. 23 Oklahoma Sooners (22-5) 2-1 Friday night at Monongalia County Ballpark. It marks the first home loss of the season for WVU and now sit at 0-4 in the Big 12.

West Virginia starting pitcher Alek Manoah gave up both runs in the second inning. He got himself in a bit of a jam, starting the inning with a walk. Then with one out, Conor McKenna bounced one over the rightfield fence for a ground rule double.

Justin Mitchell brought in the games first run on a sacrifice fly to centerfield bringing in Tyler Hardman and a single to leftfield from Brady Harlan capped off the winning runs for the Sooners.

Manoah did bounce back, keeping Oklahoma off the board the next 5.1 innings.

“He did what he had to do.” Said head coach Randy Mazey after the game. “If he only gives up two runs every time, he pitches then we’re going to win most of those games. He’s a warrior. When you go out to take him out of the game you got a dang fight on your hands and that’s not a fight I’m ever going to win. He never wants to come out, he such a competitor. He’s got a lot of pride. He gives up two runs he takes that pretty personal and he usually doesn’t give up much after that. He did the same thing tonight.

The Mountaineers gained some momentum in the sixth after Darius Hill doubled down the leftfield line. Marcus Inman followed it with a singled, then Paul McIntosh was hit by a pitch to load the bases with 0 outs.

Kevin Brophy stepped into the batter’s box with an opportunity to tie the game with a base hit, but a groundball to shortstop for an unassisted double-play killed the momentum despite bringing Hill in from third on the play.

West Virginia threatened in the bottom of the ninth when TJ Tucker and Tyler Doanes drew walks with two outs, but Brandon White hit a ground ball to third and was unable to beat the throw to first as the Sooners held on 2-1.

They’re good. They’re really good.” Stated Mazey. “Darius asked me in that last inning whenever they brought that last pitcher in, he said, ‘you think they have any bad pitchers?’ I said, ‘No they don’t.’ They really don’t. Every guy they roll out there is really, really good. Which is fun to hit against those guys. Your locked in your competing at every at bat. And, good pitching is going to beat good hitting everyday of the week. There was only 10 hits in the whole game. We pitched pretty well. They pitched pretty well. You just got to make the most of opportunities, and we scratched and clawed the last couple innings with guys on base just couldn’t get the big hit when we needed it.”

The Mountaineers look to even the series Saturday at 2:00 pm est inside Monongalia County Ballpark.