The Mountaineers defeated Penn State 3-1 Wednesday at a sold-out Meritus Park, with a two-run third inning doing all the decisive damage. No. 15 WVU (25-8) dazzled in front of the record-breaking crowd, keeping the Nittany Lions (10-24) at bay. Read More: Mountaineers hold off Nittany Lions, 3-1
First inning strikes
West Virginia drew first blood in the bottom of the first. After Matt Ineich and Gavin Kelly were retired in order, center fielder Paul Schoenfeld worked a 0-2 count and sent a solo home run to right field. That gave the Mountaineers a 1-0 edge against Penn State starter Mason Butash.
Penn State answered immediately. Leading off the second, right fielder Jack Porter worked a full count and launched a 3-2 pitch deep to left for his own solo shot, knotting the game at one. It was the first of three hits on the night for Porter, who was the story of the Penn State lineup. He single-handedly kept the Nittany Lions in the game.
The Mountaineers broke it open in the third. Brock Wills set the table with a triple to deep left on a 2-2 count. After Ineich drew a walk to put runners on the corners, Butash was pulled in favor of Harrison Lollin. The move didn’t stop the bleeding. Kelly greeted Lollin with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Wills to make it 2-1. Next, Schoenfeld doubled through the left side, moving Ineich to third, and Sean Smith followed with an infield single to the mound that plated Ineich and pushed the lead to 3-1 — the final score.
Pitching prowess
David Hagen, the sophomore righty who entered with a 1.88 ERA, was efficient through three innings. He allowed one run on one hit, walked two, and hit Anderson. He picked up the win to improve to 3-0. Ian Korn came on in the fourth and retired six of the eight batters he faced across two innings, striking out three. Weston Smith handled the sixth cleanly. Closer Reese Bassinger was unhittable over the final three frames to earn his second save of the year.
Penn State’s best threats came from Porter and Michael Anderson. Anderson reached base three times, but WVU’s staff pitched around him effectively. In the eighth, Anderson drew a walk and was immediately erased when Bryce Molinaro grounded into a double play. The Nittany Lions stranded eight runners on the night and finished 1-for-8 in at-bats with runners on base.
Porter’s 3-for-4 line with a home run and a double was a genuine effort against a quality pitching staff. Butash took the loss after surrendering three runs on two hits in 2.1 innings. Lollin’s 3.1 innings of three-hit, scoreless relief was a quiet bright spot in an otherwise frustrating night for the Lions.
WVU’s defense turned in a clean game — no errors, two double plays, while Penn State committed one error, a throwing error by shortstop Preston Yaucher in the seventh that put Wills in scoring position, though the Mountaineers couldn’t convert.
The two programs meet again April 29 in State College, where Penn State will aim to even the season series with home fans behind them.
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