Cole shuts down the Cougars early
Cole started the day by retiring Tyler Cox on a groundout, then striking out Tre Broussard. WVU nearly had a 1-2-3 inning to open the contest with a potential groundout to Xavier Perez, the throw was dropped by first baseman Armani Guzman and the inning continued. Following a stolen base by Perez, Riley Jackson was retired on strikes to end the inning scoreless.
Mountaineers take early lead in the first
The Mountaineers faced pitcher Connor Udland. Paul Schoenfeld led off the bottom of the first for WVU, walking on four pitches. Sean Smith followed with a walk of his own on a 3-2 pitch. Tyrus Hall blasted a ball that was snagged by Houston short stop Tyler Cox, who was able to retire Smith at second base. Hall was able to reach first base to put runners at first and third with only one out.
Schoenfeld scored from third thanks to a failed pickoff play at second base to give WVU an early 1-0 advantage. Matt Ineich followed with a ground out that advanced Hall to third base. Brodie Kresser grounded out to end the inning.
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Cole retired the Cougars in order in the top of the second inning, recording two strike outs.
WVU extends advantage in the second
Armani Guzman led off the bottom of the second with a fly ball to center that both outfielders lost sight of. Guzman later scored thanks to a wild pick off attempt at second base to give WVU a 2-0 lead. Following the Guzman score, the Cougars went to the bullpen to bring in pitcher Tyler Bryan.
Graveline welcomed Bryan to the game with a single to center field. Matthew Robaugh followed by blasting a ball that was snagged by the second baseman Antonelli Savattere for the first out. Following a fly out from Brock Wills, Schoenfeld singled to left, advancing Matthew Graveline to third base with two outs. Smith flew out to center to end the inning and leave the runners stranded.
Cole sat down the Cougars once again in the top of the third, forcing three straight ground outs. Bryan responded by striking out the Mountaineers in order to end the third inning.
Cole stays hot
After a line out from Broussard, Brodie Kresser made an incredible diving catch to retire Perez for the second out of the inning.
Following Kresser’s catch, Riley Jackson walked to give Houston a base runner with two outs, Jackson reached second base on a wild pitch in the following at-bat. Cade Climie walked to put runners at first and second with two outs. Cole struck out Blake Fields to end the inning and keep Houston off the board.
Guzman opened the bottom of the fourth with a single to center, he later stole second base. Graveline smoked a ball that got past second baseman Savattere, allowing Guzman to score and extend West Virginia’s lead 3-0. After a strike out to Robaugh, Brock Wills laid down a bunt attempting to advance Matthew Graveline, but Graveline was thrown out at second for the second out. Schoenfeld grounded out to end the inning.
Kresser’s two-run homer blows it open
Cole once again retired the Cougars in order in the top of the fifth. After a Smith ground out to open the bottom of the fifth, Hall singled to center. Hall advanced to second on a groundout from Ineich, Hall later stole third. Kresser stepped to the plate with a runner on third and two outs and blasted a 2-run home run into the Houston Bullpen, extending the Mountaineer lead 5-0. Guzman popped out to end the inning.
Carson Estridge came into the game for WVU in the top of the sixth and retired the Cougars in order with one strike out and two ground outs.
Graveline goes deep for insurance
Graveline led off the bottom of the sixth and hit a solo home run to center to give WVU a 6-0 lead. Robaugh reached base after being hit by a pitch, Robaugh reached second thanks to a sacrifice bunt from Wills. Schoenfeld grounded out but was able to advance Robaugh to third. Smith brought Robaugh home with a single to left field, extending the lead 7-0.
Following the score from Robaugh, Houston went to the bullpen, bringing in Caleb Kimble. After walking Hall on four pitches, Kimble struck out Ineich to end the inning.
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Riley Jackson reached first base on a walk to open the top of the seventh. Following a strikeout to Climie and a strikeout to Fields, WVU went to the bullpen to bring in Bryson Thacker. Thacker walked Savattere on a 3-2 pitch but struck out Carsten Sabathia III (pinch hitting for Dylan Maxcey) to end the inning.
Kresser led off the bottom of the seventh with a single to center, a wild pitch advanced Kresser to second. Following a pop out from Guzman, Houston went to the bullpen yet again, this time brining in Harrison Boushele. Boushele struck out Graveline, and then was replaced by Max McCraray. Zahir Barjam came into the game to pinch hit for Robaugh and was retired on strikes to end the inning.
Houston scores three
David Perez took the mound for WVU in the top of the eighth and had a rare shaky performance. Perez gave up a lead-off double to Jackson Lalima, giving Houston their first hit of the day. Perez then walked Tyler Cox before being replaced by Ben McDougal. A wild pitch from McDougal advanced the runners to second and third with no outs.
McDougal then walked Broussard to load the bases with no outs. The Cougars scored two runs with a single from Perez that got past Kresser to make the score 7-2. McDougal responded by striking out Jackson.
After both Houston runners swiped a bag to put runners at second and third, Climie flew out to left to score another run and cut WVU’s lead to four (7-3). A pop out from Fields ended the inning with no further damage.
Following a strike out to Wills and a fly out from Schoenfeld, Smith doubled to center. After a walk to Hall, Ineich popped out to end the eighth inning with no runs for WVU.
Bassinger seals it for WVU
Reese Bassinger came into the game for WVU in the top of the ninth. Bassinger walked Savattere to open the inning then forced a pop fly from Justin Cherrington for the first out. WVU recorded the second out of the inning with a fly out to center from Lalima. Cox followed with a bloop single over the head of Guzman at first base, but WVU prevailed after a strike out to Broussard to give the Mountaineers a 7-3 victory in the rubber match.
