WVU Baseball kicked off its 2026 campaign against Georgia Southern. Their second matchup in the series resulted in an 11-10 slugfest at J.J. Clements Stadium. WVU jumped out to a 7-0 lead and earned its second victory of the series and season. Read more: A close match between WVU and GASO results in an 11-10 win.
Quick start
After an early start, going 7-0 in the first inning, the Mountaineers quickly set the tone for the second game in the series. WVU drew early pressure on the Eagles, getting on the board with an RBI groundout from Matthew Graveline before Paul Schoenfeld delivered a key run-scoring single. Brodie Kresser then pulled off a heads-up play from second base, scoring on a steal-and-steal-of-home sequence to cap a back-breaking sequence.
Securing the lead
The Mountaineers brought the heat. Another big swing in the first saw Matt Ineich drive in two runs with a single, bringing home both Ben Lumsden and Tyrus Hall to make it 7-0 early.
Georgia Southern clawed back into it with a vengeance. The Eagles used a big second inning to trim the deficit behind a string of hits and errors, then kept chipping away. They were successful with punching across runs in the fourth and seventh to bring the score to a tie, 10-10. WVU’s pitching staff battled strong, but Georgia Southern had answers every time the Mountaineers seemed positioned to pull away.
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Offensive successes
Back on offense, WVU found just enough late magic.
In the top of the eighth inning, Gavin Kelly doubled and later scored on a throwing error during a steal attempt, which proved to be the decisive run. This put West Virginia back in the lead, 11-10. From there, WVU’s bullpen held firm to preserve the narrow lead.
West Virginia’s bats were sparked by a balanced attack throughout the match. Graveline finished with one RBI and launched a long home run earlier in the contest. Ineich continued hitting big, collecting two RBIs in the contest. Kelly and Schoenfeld each contributed key hits that turned scoring opportunities into runs, with Kelly adding a key extra-base hit.
Combined, the Mountaineers produced 12 hits in the contest. This meant that the Mountaineers were able to keep pace with Georgia Southern’s offensive output. This success resulted in a nail-biting final inning between the Eagles and the Mountaineers.
Mountaineers show grit to kick off season
After a back-and-forth affair that featured swings in momentum and clutch plays on both sides, West Virginia walked away with its second victory of 2026. This win, along with the first in the series, sets a positive tone for what promises to be an exciting season as the Mountaineers look to build on this early road success.
The series wraps up Saturday night in the second part of the doubleheader. At home, the team will look to carry Saturday’s excitement into the early part of the Big 12 schedule.
Stay tuned to WVSportsNation for a game three recap.
