MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – No. 9 WVU (37-13, 21-9 Big 12) came from behind for a gritty win in the rain against TCU. They trailed 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth, but manufactured three runs to win the game dramatically. They won the series against TCU and finished the regular season in second place in the Big 12. Read more: WVU battles rain and TCU for gritty Senior Day victory.
TCU jumps out to an early lead
TCU was aggressive at the plate in the top of the first inning. Chansen Cole faced five batters in the first inning and only threw 13 pitches. Colton Griffin started the inning with a single and moved to second on a hit-and-run groundout. Nolan Traegor brought him home for the first run of the day with a double to left center. Cole struck out the next batter and got a ground ball to end the inning without any more damage.
Gavin Kelly and Paul Schoenfeld hit back-to-back one-out singles in the bottom of the inning, but the Mountaineers could not manufacture a run. Zack James got the next two batters to hit fly balls, which ended the inning.
Cole struck out three batters and walked one in the top of the second. He was much more efficient and in command in the second frame. He also threw 20 pitches as TCU became less aggressive in the bottom half of their lineup.
Armani Guzman popped out to second base to start the second inning. Brodie Kresser followed with a four-pitch walk. James got two quick outs to end the inning. TCU took a 1-0 lead into the third inning.
WVU fires back
Cole struck out two and walked one to start the third inning. That walk cost WVU a run. Kyuss Gargett hit a home run to left field to give TCU a 3-0 lead. Cole got a ground ball to end the inning, but TCU did the damage.
Related: TCU shuts down WVU’s offense, Mountaineers lose 4-0
Matt Ineich started the bottom of the inning with a double ripped down the right field line. Kelly blasted a triple off the center field wall to give WVU its first run of the game. Schoenfeld followed with a bloop single, which brought Kelly home. Matthew Graveline singled on a bloop to the second baseman, which went off his glove on a diving attempt. Kresser walked to load the bases, which prompted a pitching change. The Horned Frogs brought in Nate Stern for James. He got the final out, as TCU led 3-2 after three innings.
Cole struck out two batters in the fourth. He needed only 18 pitches to get out of the inning. Tyrus Hall led off the bottom of the fourth with a 374-foot home run to tie the game. Ineich followed with a single, his second hit of the game.
TCU regains the lead
Cole continued on the mound in the fifth inning. He allowed a one-out single, but made quick work otherwise. He only needed nine pitches to get three outs. Stern got two outs to start the bottom of the fifth, but gave up a double off the left field wall to Kresser. That ended his outing as Mason Brassfield replaced him. He only needed two pitches to end the inning.
WHAT A CATCH BY SCHOENFELD! #WVU #TCUpic.twitter.com/5BPimqtZtC
— WV Sports Nation (@_wvsportsnation) May 16, 2026
Brock Wills replaced Matthew Robaugh, who pinch-hit for Ben Lumsden, in left field to start the sixth inning. Jack Bell led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Noah Franco drove him in with a deep single to center field.
That ended Cole’s night, and Reese Bassinger replaced him as it started raining. He got two fly balls to end the inning. Ineich singled with one out in the bottom of the sixth for his third hit of the game. He got thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning.
Bassinger gave up a single to Griffin to start the seventh. He was thrown out after sliding past the bag at second. Cole Cramer followed with a one-out single. Traeger struck out for the second out. Kresser made a diving stop at first base and tagged the bag for the final out.
Brassfield continued his stellar outing in the bottom of the seventh. He got Schoenfeld to ground out to second and struck out Sean Smith. He walked Graveline as the rain continued to fall. Guzman struck out to end the seventh inning.
WVU small ball ties it again
Bassinger only needed 10 pitches in the top of the eighth inning. He made a great hustle play at third base for the third out. Franco smashed a ground ball to Kresser at first base, and it went off his glove to Kelly at second. Kelly threw to Bassinger, who covered first, and got the putout with plenty of time before the runner reached.
Tanner Sagouspe replaced Brassfield on the bump for TCU. He walked Kresser on five pitches to start his outing. Wills ripped a ball back to the pitcher, and the second baseman had trouble grabbing the ball in his glove. Kresser reached second, and Wills was credited with a single. Hall moved them over with a sacrifice bunt.
Kresser scored one pitch later on a wild pitch to tie the game. Wills scored on another wild pitch as Sagouspe was having trouble with his command. It could be rain-related, but it still allowed the go-ahead run to score in the bottom of the eighth. Sagouspe’s outing ended, and Walter Quinn replaced him. Kelly walked and put men on first and second. Smith laced a single to right field, which scored Ineich, making it 6-4. TCU ended the inning, but trailed 6-4.
Bassinger returned to the mound in the ninth, in line for the win. He walked one batter, but got the other three to make soft contact, and his defense helped him. WVU won 6-4 on a rainy Senior Day.
Top performers
- R. Bassinger (WVU): 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K (W, 3-2)
- M. Ineich (WVU): 3-for-4, 2 R, 2B, BB, K
- G. Kelly (WVU): 2-for-4, R, RBI, 3B, BB, K
What’s next?
The Mountaineers return to action in the Big 12 Tournament in Surprise, AZ. They are locked into the two-seed and will play at 6:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 21, against the winner of the No. 10/No. 11 and No. 7 seeds. The game is slated to air on ESPNU.
Stay up to date with WV Sports Nation for more WVU Athletics coverage by downloading the WV Sports Nation app.
