WVU lost the second game of the series against Kansas, 8-5. The Mountaineers have now lost back-to-back Big 12 series to move to 19-8 in the conference. They are 40-12 overall and have lost a lot of momentum heading into the Big 12 tournament. They have a 17-6 record at home this season and have one final game in the regular season. WVU closes the regular season at home tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark. Read more: Kansas wins 8-5 and hands Mountaineers third consecutive loss.
Recap: Kansas Wins 8-5 and Hands Mountaineers Third Consecutive Loss
Gavin Van Kempen started for WVU, but his night did not last long. He gave up a lead-off double to Brady Ballinger. He advanced to third on a wild pitch, and Brady Counsell reached first on a one-out walk. Ben McDougal replaced Van Kempen on the mound with one out in the top of the first. Head coach Steve Sabins had a short leash for Van Kempen. McDougal gave up a sacrifice fly to his first batter of the game, but got out of the inning.
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WVU answered in the bottom of the inning with a run of their own. Gavin Kelly and Kyle West hit back-to-back singles to start the game. Jace Rinehart grounded into a double play, but Kelly scored from third to make it 1-1. The Mountaineers took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Kyle West continues to be scorching hot as he hit a solo home run to right field.
The night turned bad quickly for WVU in the fourth inning. McDougal gave up a single and a walk to start the inning. Michael Brooks knocked one in with a double to right field. McDougal hit the next batter, and that ended his night. Chase Meyer relieved him, but could not get out of the jam. He got a double play quickly, but a run scored from third. He hit the next batter and gave up a three-run home run to Ballinger. That gave Kansas a 6-2 lead.
Meyer’s struggles continued in the fifth inning after allowing back-to-back singles. He got a strikeout, but walked the next batter on a full count and Counsell scored from second on a wild pitch. Meyer’s night ended there, and he was replaced by JJ Glasscock. Glasscock gave up a sacrifice fly before getting out of the inning, and Kansas took an 8-2 lead.
WVU tried to mount a comeback with a run in the eighth inning and two in the ninth. Ben Lumsden recorded a pinch-hit RBI in the eighth after a Kyle West double. Ellis Garcia hit a pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the ninth to cut the deficit to three with no outs. Kansas got three consecutive outs to end the game.
Key Takeaways
WVU’s bats woke up tonight, and they had some key pinch-hit at-bats. Lumsden and Garcia answered the call when asked to pinch hit to try and mount a comeback, which is a positive takeaway from a disappointing game. West remained hot, going four for five, with a home run and double. He is now batting .355, second on the team, and leads the team with a .656 slugging percentage. He also leads the team with a 1.123 OPS. They must continue to put up runs if they want to make it deep in the Big 12 tournament.
The pitching staff struggled mightily tonight. They could not get out of any jams when they allowed baserunners. Their team ERA is now 4.10 after starting the season well. They allowed 11 hits on Friday and threw 57 more pitches than Kansas. The Jayhawks went three for 15 with runners on base, but they went two for seven with runners in scoring position. The high-pressure situations went their way tonight. Robby Porco pitched four scoreless innings to end the game, but the combination of Van Kempen, McDougal, and Meyer did not get the job done in the first 4.1 innings. Porco tallied five strikeouts, finishing the game, which is solid for a pitcher with 18.1 innings pitched this season. There are some positives to take away from this game, but they must regroup and try to gain some momentum before the Big 12 tournament.
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WVU answered in the bottom of the inning with a run of their own. Gavin Kelly and Kyle West hit back-to-back singles to start the game. Jace Rinehart grounded into a double play, but Kelly scored from third to make it 1-1. The Mountaineers took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Kyle West continues to be scorching hot as he hit a solo home run to right field.
The night turned bad quickly for WVU in the fourth inning. McDougal gave up a single and a walk to start the inning. Michael Brooks knocked one in with a double to right field. McDougal hit the next batter, and that ended his night. Chase Meyer relieved him, but could not get out of the jam. He got a double play quickly, but a run scored from third. He hit the next batter and gave up a three-run home run to Ballinger. That gave Kansas a 6-2 lead.
Meyer’s struggles continued in the fifth inning after allowing back-to-back singles. He got a strikeout, but walked the next batter on a full count and Counsell scored from second on a wild pitch. Meyer’s night ended there, and he was replaced by JJ Glasscock. Glasscock gave up a sacrifice fly before getting out of the inning, and Kansas took an 8-2 lead.
WVU tried to mount a comeback with a run in the eighth inning and two in the ninth. Ben Lumsden recorded a pinch-hit RBI in the eighth after a Kyle West double. Ellis Garcia hit a pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the ninth to cut the deficit to three with no outs. Kansas got three consecutive outs to end the game.
Key Takeaways
WVU’s bats woke up tonight, and they had some key pinch-hit at-bats. Lumsden and Garcia answered the call when asked to pinch hit to try and mount a comeback, which is a positive takeaway from a disappointing game. West remained hot, going four for five, with a home run and double. He is now batting .355, second on the team, and leads the team with a .656 slugging percentage. He also leads the team with a 1.123 OPS. They must continue to put up runs if they want to make it deep in the Big 12 tournament.
The pitching staff struggled mightily tonight. They could not get out of any jams when they allowed baserunners. Their team ERA is now 4.10 after starting the season well. They allowed 11 hits on Friday and threw 57 more pitches than Kansas. The Jayhawks went three for 15 with runners on base, but they went two for seven with runners in scoring position. The high-pressure situations went their way tonight. Robby Porco pitched four scoreless innings to end the game, but the combination of Van Kempen, McDougal, and Meyer did not get the job done in the first 4.1 innings. Porco tallied five strikeouts, finishing the game, which is solid for a pitcher with 18.1 innings pitched this season. There are some positives to take away from this game, but they must regroup and try to gain some momentum before the Big 12 tournament.