One swing of the bat in the bottom of the 10th inning changed everything. No. 23 WVU Baseball (9-3) bounces back from consecutive upset losses by winning a 9-5 slugfest against Columbia (2-6) on Saturday. Read more: Brodie Kresser walks it off in grand fashion, WVU evens series with Columbia.Â
The Mountaineer faithful who gathered at Kendrick Family Ballpark under balmy conditions were treated to a good one. A crowd of 2,885, to be exact.
Related: The Mountaineers’ defense helps them advance to the semifinals (WBB)
Momentum swings in the bout came in waves, with both teams trading punches until the final pitch. WVU picked up 15 hits, but left 12 runners on base.
Quiet starts all around
Chansen Cole got the nod for the premature Noon first pitch, moved up from the initial 2 p.m. start time.
Cole sat down Columbia’s first three batters in short order, nabbing a lead-off strikeout to set the tone. Action picked up in the bottom of the first when Matt Ineich reached first via error in the lead-off spot. The Ohio transfer got caught stealing during a Lions’ double play.
WVU picked up free bases through a walk and a balk, but left runners on.
Columbia took advantage of two free bases in the second, but two K’s and a lineup left two men stranded.
This trend of back-and-forth, runners left on base, trench warfare ensued until the bottom of the fourth.
A pulse, detected
Three consecutive singles from Brock Wills, Sean Smith, and Armani Guzman brought home the first two scores of the game. Guzman’s line drive sent Wills and Smith to the plate for a 2-0 WVU lead.
The Lions took a third error, one that would bite back. Third baseman Jimmy Chaswell fumbled around, allowing Matthew Graveline to reach, and Gavin Kelly to score.
A fly-out stranded two ducks on the pond, but WVU’s lead extended to 3-0.
Waking the Lion(s)
The tide turned in the top of the sixth, as Columbia found its footing.
A single and walk put runners on first and second, respectively. WVU’s Cole started to fade on the mound.
It culminated with a two-run double, courtesy of Cole Fellows. The score brought CU within one tally.
The Mountaineers pulled the starter after the two scores, ending the starter’s day after five innings. Chansen Cole finished the outing allowing two runs on five hits, but also walked four batters.
Bryson Thacker toed the mound as the initial relief heaver, earning a K on his first batter faced. The success was short-lived, as a Guzman fielding error, a sacrifice fly, and a bases-loaded walk gave the Lions two more runs — and the 4-3 lead.
Down the stretch
Trailing by one, WVU took to the batter’s box following the seventh inning stretch. Paul Schoenfeld set the scene with a lead-off single, before Graveline tabbed a single of his own. Add in the CU error and Schoenfeld was able to safely round for home.
Another Wills hit brought in Graveline, and WVU took control again with a 5-4 advantage.
A Jackson Brewer two-out double tied the game in the top of the eighth for the Lions. Neither team found a way to crack the stalemate in the final frame, and extra innings became a reality.
Kressermania
WVU’s David Perez took over for Reese Bassinger on the mound for the ninth and tenth innings. He did his job, keeping Columbia scoreless in his two innings of work.
The Mountaineers managed to get multiple runners on base, before a crucial fielder’s choice kept CU alive. Tyrus Hall was declared out at home, but the play loaded the bases.
Enter Brodie Kresser with two outs and juiced bases. Kresser entered the inning hitting 1-5 on the afternoon.
But one swing of the bat — and it was all over. The crack of the hit… echoing through Morgantown. The ball sailed over the visiting bullpen in deep left field, and “Take Me Home, Country Roads” rang from the speakers.
Players rallied around home plate to celebrate, and WVU picked up its ninth win of the season.
Series finale on the way
WVU and Columbia are set to square off in the rubber match of the series on Sunday.
First pitch is slated for 1 p.m., but subject to change depending on the weather. ESPN+ has the TV coverage.
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