6 hours Ago
Manhattan, KS – After suffering walk off losses in consecutive games, including allowing a six-run ninth on Friday night, the No. 12 West Virginia Mountaineers (40-9, 19-5) bounced back with an emphatic 10-3 decision against Kansas State (29-21, 15-11) Saturday evening to even the three-game series at one. Kansas State jumped out on top in the bottom of the first after sophomore Dee Kennedy drew a walk, and advanced to second on a ground ball then, senior Keegan O’Connor rolled an RBI single back up the middle for the 1-0 lead.
West Virginia claimed the lead in the second. Senior Jace Rinehart and redshirt junior Chase Swain hit one out singles through the left side of the infield, a passed ball placed both runners in to scoring position before senior Grant Hussey tied the game with a high slow chopper to second for the RBI and a wild pitch brought in the go-ahead run for a 2-1 edge. The Wildcats answered and reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning when West Virginia sophomore starting pitcher Chase Meyer walked two and senior David Bishop snuck a grounder past the diving glove of senior shortstop Brodie Kresser for an RBI single.
Then, Meyer loaded the bases with a hit batsman and walked in the lead run to fall behind a run, 3-2. In the fourth and with two outs and two on, freshman Gavin Kelley singled back up the middle to bring in the tying run and Kresser found the hole on the left side for an RBI single and after senior Skylar King was beaned to load the bases, senior Kyle West lifted the 3-2 pitch well over the left-centerfield wall for a grand slam, capping on a six-run fourth and gave the Mountaineers an 8-3 lead. Chase Meyer left the game in the fifth.
He threw 4.1 innings and recorded four strikeouts on the day. Junior Ben McDougal took the mound with one out and one aboard.
The lefty struck out one and a slow roller to first ended the inning. The Mountaineers extended their lead in the sixth after West worked an eight-pitch walk and junior Sam White singled through the left side before Rinehart flared a line drive to right-centerfield for a two-RBI double and a 10-3 advantage. McDougal finished the game, allowing just one hit and struck out two in 4.
2 innings of work to collect his first Mountaineer win as the Mountaineers take the 10-3 decision. West Virginia and Kansas State will meet for a decisive game three Sunday afternoon. The first pitch is set for 2:00 p.
m. EST and the action will stream on ESPN+. No.
12 West Virginia Falters in the Ninth (Again) and Falls to K-State No. 12 West Virginia Travels to Kansas State West Virginia Product JJ Wetherholt Off to Strong Start at Double-A Level.
