The Mountaineers completed the sweep over UCF in Orlando this weekend. Sunday’s game was a close contest, but WVU’s pitching stepped up and finished the game strong. They are now 37-5 overall and 16-3 in the Big 12. They have won 14 consecutive conference games and have a wide lead in the Big 12. WVU completes their season-long series with Marshall on Wednesday in GoMart Ballpark in Charleston at 6 p.m. Read more: WVU sweeps UCF to move to 16-3 in the Big 12.
Recap: WVU Sweeps UCF to Move to 16-3 in the Big 12
Jack Kartsonas started the game for the Mountaineers and had a one-run lead before taking the mound in the bottom of the first. Skylar King got hit by a pitch and scored on a Jace Rinehart double. Rinehart continues his hot hitting. He leads the team in on-base plus slugging and is not cooling down.
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Karstsonas gave up a double to the first batter he faced and eventually scored on an Andrew Williamson double. The Knights quickly tied the game in the first inning at 1-1. They continued to score in the second inning, putting up one run. Kartsonas hit the first batter of the inning and was driven in on a DeAmez Ross double to left center. It gave UCF a 2-1 lead.
WVU did not score again until the fifth inning. Chase Swain and Skylar King got consecutive hits with one out. Rinehart doubled to drive them both in with two outs. Sam White singled to center field to score the third run of the inning. WVU took a 4-2 lead into the sixth inning. Kartsonas went deep into this game, pitching 6.2 innings. He allowed UCF’s last run of the game in the bottom of the sixth but got out of the jam. UCF left two runners on base that inning.
Ben McDougal replaced Kartsonas on the mound in the seventh inning and did not allow a hit the rest of the game. He pitched 2.1 innings and did not allow a baserunner. It only took him 17 pitches to finish the game and pick up his first save of the season. He and Kartsonas pitched key innings after WVU used eight pitchers in Saturday’s game. They should get some much-needed rest before taking on Marshall on Wednesday.
Key Takeaways
Jace Rinehart’s bat was the MVP of this game. He went two for four with two doubles and three RBIs. He also scored a run and was part of every WVU run in this game. WVU won every game this series but did not have more hits than UCF in a game. They got timely hits and dominated the basepaths. They stole eight bases in the first two games but did not record one in the third. Skylar King also did his job as the leadoff batter. He scored five runs in the series and two on Sunday.
Jack Kartsonas and Ben McDougal were excellent in the final game. Kartsonas (5-1) picked up the win and pitched 6.2 innings. He threw 111 pitches, allowed nine hits and three runs, and recorded five strikeouts. WVU needed a quality start after using a lot of arms in the first two games of the series. McDougal was outstanding again after pitching 2.2 innings on Saturday. He faced seven batters and got seven quick outs on 17 pitches. McDougal pitched five innings this weekend and did not allow a run. He only allowed two hits on Saturday and one walk. The offense did just enough for them to secure the win while facing some trouble early in the game. UCF left nine runners on base, and Kartsonas did a phenomenal job of not getting rattled in stressful situations.
