The Mountaineer offense looked night and day from last night’s performance, winning with one hit. They beat UCF 15-10 to win the second game of the weekend in Orlando. WVU moves to 36-5 overall and 15-3 in the Big 12. They have won 13 consecutive games and are 21-2 on the road this season. That is an impressive feat, considering they travel more than most teams. The final game of the series against UCF is Sunday at 1 p.m. Read more: WVU explodes for 15 runs to beat UCF.
Recap: WVU Explodes for 15 Runs to Beat UCF
The game started in the opposite fashion of the first game between these teams. They combined for nine runs after scoring five combined runs on Friday night. WVU got things rolling in the top of the inning with five runs. Gavin Kelly drove in two runs on a single to left field. Grant Hussey doubled to drive in another. Brodie Kresser laid down a perfect bunt on the first base line to score Kelly from third before a sacrifice fly from Spencer Barnett, which scored the fifth run.
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Gavin Van Kempen started on the mound for WVU, but his night did not last long. He walked the first two batters and gave up a single and a home run to Andrew Sundean to allow four runs in the inning. Ben McDougal replaced him with one out in the first inning and got out without allowing another run.
WVU gave up the lead in the fourth inning. Benjamin Hudson replaced McDougal on the mound and did not have his best stuff. He gave up a double to start his night. He got two outs but allowed two runs and got pulled from the game. Cole Fehrman replaced him on the mound and finished the inning.
The weirdest play of the night occurred in the seventh inning. Armani Guzman was on second after stealing a base, and Sam White grounded out to first base. The pitcher, Alex Galvan, covered first and started jawing with White after making the out, thinking there were three outs in the inning. Guzman was able to score, and the pitcher received an error. It made the game 7-7.
WVU’s offense exploded in the final two innings for eight runs. They capitalized on an error to start the eighth inning. Skylar King doubled down the third base line to drive in two runs. They scored two more in the inning to take an 11-8 lead. Ben Lumsden finished the night with a three-run home run in the top of the ninth to give the Mountaineers a 15-10 lead, which was the final score.
Key Takeaways
The pitching was atrocious for most of the night. Gavin Van Kempen allowed three hits and four runs and walked two batters while only getting one out to start the game. McDougal had a solid night replacing him in the first inning. He pitched 2.2 innings and only allowed three baserunners while facing 11 batters. Head Coach Steve Sabins used eight pitchers tonight, which does not bode well heading into Sunday’s game. Chase Meyer (8-1) secured the win tonight but allowed two hits and one earned run. Two unearned runs crossed the plate for Meyer, but it did not matter because the offense scored 15 runs. Carson Estridge got his fifth save of the season, pitching 1.2 innings and allowing zero runs. A bright spot for the staff was that UCF left 16 runners on base, so they got out of jams well enough to secure the victory.
The highlight of the night for the Mountaineers was their offense. They recorded 13 hits as a team. They drew five walks and only struck out four times as a team. WVU also recorded three stolen bases and only left four runners on base. Gavin Kelly and Ben Lumsden led the way with three RBIs each. Kyle West and Brodie Kresser each recorded three hits. The bats woke up after a lackluster performance on Friday night. They will look to keep the ball rolling to secure a sweep on Sunday afternoon.
