WVU (22-7, 8-4 Big 12) won the second of three games against Marshall this season. They won 12-2 and activated the run rule after the eighth inning. WVU is now 2-0 this season against Marshall with wins in Huntington and Morgantown. The final game of the season-long series is on May 5 at GoMart Ballpark in Charleston, WV. Read more: WVU run-rules Marshall in Morgantown, 12-2.
Mountaineers’ early explosion
David Hagen took the ball first for the Mountaineers and walked two batters with two outs in the top of the first inning. He struck out Jackson Halter, ending Marshall’s chances of scoring the first run. Kenyon Collins was on the bump for Marshall, and his night did not last long.
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Matt Ineich led off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. That proved vital as he scored on a single through the left side of the infield by Gavin Kelly. Sean Smith hit a one-out double to put men on second and third base with one out. Armani Guzman laid down a squeeze bunt, which worked to perfection. Paul Schoenfeld scored, and Guzman reached first. He was caught stealing in the next at-bat, but Smith scored from third during the throw to second base.
Collins ended up walking the batter, Matthew Robaugh, and that was the end of his night. Blaine Albright came in for Collins and struck out Brock Wills to end the inning. WVU led 3-0 after the first inning.
Second and third innings
Marshall’s Cam Harthan singled with one out to get on base in the top of the second. He stole second base and advanced to third base on a wild pitch from Hagen. That set up the Thundering Herd’s first run of the game, which came off a Jack Smith single. Albright came back for Marshall, but allowed two more runs to WVU.
Tyrus Hall and Ineich hit back-to-back one-out singles to put men on base. Kelly doubled to right field to record his second RBI of the night. Schoenfeld followed it with a groundout to third base, but Ineich scored. Albright walked two more batters, but struck out Robaugh to end the inning.
Ben McDougal replaced Hagen at the top of the third inning. He hit Tyler Kamerer and Cooper Hinson to start his outing. AJ Havrilla singled to center field, which brought Kamerer across the plate. McDougal got a flyout and a double play to end the inning, limiting the damage.
Peyton Jackson replaced Albright in the bottom of the third inning and fared well. He allowed one base runner and did not allow a run. The Mountaineers led 5-2 after three innings.
Middle Innings
The game slowed down in the middle innings. Ian Korn came in for McDougal and had a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth inning. Hunter Richardson replaced Jackson on the bump and also had a 1-2-3 inning thanks to a double play.
Korn allowed two singles in the top of the fifth, but Hinson was thrown out at home for the final out of the inning. Richardson struck out one batter in another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth. Korn had another stellar inning in the top of the sixth with three consecutive outs.
Richardson struggled to start the bottom of the sixth. Matthew Graveline singled to start and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Hall. Ineich walked, and Kelly followed with a flyout, which moved Graveline to third. Schoenfeld walked to load the bases, and Graveline scored on a wild pitch a few pitches later after Alex Caudill replaced Richardson. Smith doubled to right-center, which brought two more runs across the plate. He was caught stealing third to end the inning, with WVU winning 8-2.
Late innings
Carson Estridge came in for Korn at the top of the seventh and ran into a little trouble. Cleary Simpson reached on a fielding error and moved to second on a Smith single. Hinson hit a two-out single, and Simpson was thrown out at home. He was the second player for Marshall thrown out at home for the final out of an inning.
AJ McAninch replaced Caudill at the bottom of the seventh and immediately allowed a hit. Guzman singled and stole second base. He scored on a Brock Wills single. Wills advanced to third base on a Graveline double and later scored on a Hall groundout.
Estridge allowed a walk and a single in the top of the eighth inning, but got a double play groundball to end the inning. Kelly singled to start the bottom of the inning, and Schoenfeld doubled following him. Guzman grounded out to second base, but Kelly scored. Zahir Barjam pinch-hit for Robaugh with a chance to end the game via run-rule. He singled to left center, and WVU won 12-2.
Top performers
- G. Kelly (WVU): 3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R, BB
- S. Smith (WVU): 2-for-3, HR, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R, BB
- A. Guzman (WVU): 2-for-4, 2 RBI, R, 2 BB, SB
What’s next?
The Mountaineers continue with Big 12 action over the weekend as they travel to Lubbock, Texas, for a three-game series against Texas Tech. The first game is on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, while the next two games are at 3 and 2 p.m.
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