WVU (36-12, 20-8 Big 12) notched its 20th Big 12 victory with a 2-0 win over TCU in the first game of the final regular-season series. Ian Korn gave the Mountaineers a stellar first six innings, and Carson Estridge finished the job, earning his second save of the season. The Mountaineers have a chance to win the regular-season Big 12 title, but they need some help from Kansas. They did their job, though, and must continue stellar play heading into the postseason. Read more: Korn and Estridge combine for a shutout against TCU.
Korn deals early
Ian Korn started the game with a 1-2-3 inning, but so did his counterpart, Tommy LaPour. LaPour recorded two strikeouts in the bottom of the first inning against the top of WVU’s lineup. Korn got three more outs for six consecutive outs in the top of the inning. LaPour did not continue with consecutive outs.
Related: Seniors making it count for WVU Baseball this season
Sean Smith doubled to start the inning, and Matthew Graveline followed with a double of his own. Smith scored to give WVU an early lead. Armani Guzman laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Graveline to third, which paid off a batter later. Senior Brodie Kresser hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field, which scored Gravline and gave WVU a 2-0 lead.
Korn finally gave up a hit in the top of the third. Preston Gamster hit an infield single to shortstop, but TCU never threatened to score. LaPour rebounded in the third inning and only allowed a walk against the top of the order.
Both pitchers limited baserunners through the fifth inning. Korn allowed back-to-back one-out singles in the top of the sixth, but struck out two batters to get out of the inning. Walter Quinn replaced LaPour in the bottom of the sixth, and his defense turned two before he got a strikeout for the final out.
Estridge seals the deal
Estridge took over at the top of the seventh and allowed a single against his first batter faced. That was the last baserunner TCU had. Quinn recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh as both offenses continued to struggle.
Estridge struck out one on his way to a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth inning. Quinn struck out two batters, walked two, and struck out another to end the inning. TCU was down to its final three outs. Estridge struck out the first batter in the top of the ninth and got two groundouts to end the game. WVU won the game, 2-0, off its two second-inning runs.
Top performers
- M. Yehl (WVU): 6.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K (W, 5-0)
- C. Estridge (WVU): 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (S, 2)
- M. Graveline (WVU): 1-for-3, RBI, R, 2B
What’s next?
The Mountaineers return to action at home on Friday and Saturday for the final two games of the season. They play TCU on Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET, and wrap up the regular season at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, including Senior Day to honor the seniors in front of the home crowd.
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