Mountaineers Slug Way to Saturday Win
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (May 13, 2017) – The West Virginia University baseball team’s bats exploded for 15 runs on 15 hits in a 15-5 victory over Gardner-Webb on Saturday afternoon.
The Mountaineers (29-20) scored at least one run in all but one inning and plated more than one run in four innings. The Runnin’ Bulldogs (22-26) were held to five runs on 12 hits, and just one hit in the final 3.2 innings against the WVU bullpen.
“Yeah, we scored more runs today than we have in I think the last four-to-five games combined,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “That’s what you want to do late in the year, you want to keep getting better. I thought our guys’ approach at the plate today and our swings and everything fell into place pretty nicely. Better to have a 15-run game right now than in March. I’m feeling pretty good as we stand here today about our offense.”
All but one player in the West Virginia lineup had at least one hit, and three had three hits. Six Mountaineers drove in at least one run, with five of them plating multiple runs.
Six of West Virginia’s 15 runs came with two outs.
The offensive charge was led by junior left fielder Kyle Davis, who was 3-for-3 with a career-high-tying five RBIs. He scored three runs and walked once.
Sophomore third baseman Ivan Gonzalez and sophomore right fielder Darius Hill also had three hits, with Hill driving in two runs. Sophomore shortstop Jimmy Galusky also drove in three runs in the contest.
Sophomore Andrew Zitel, who entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning, launched his first career home run in the eighth, a two-run shot that hit off the left-field foul pole.
Junior right-handed starter BJ Myers earned his fourth win of the season, allowing five runs on 11 hits in 5.1 innings. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.
The scoring began in the first inning, when Gardner-Webb took an early 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly. The Mountaineers quickly answered in the bottom half to tie the game at 1-1, on Davis’ two-out single up the middle to score sophomore center fielder Braden Zarbnisky.
Both teams again scored a run in the second inning. GWU’s came on an RBI double with one out, while the Mountaineers tied it again at 2-2 on a groundout by Galusky to bring home Hill, who led off the frame with a double.
After Myers pitched a 1-2-3 third inning, the WVU offense scored three runs in the bottom half. Davis got the scoring going with a two-RBI triple to right field, scoring sophomore second baseman Kyle Gray and Gonzalez. Senior first baseman Jackson Cramer then brought home Davis on a groundout.
That gave the Mountaineers a 5-2 lead, and a scoreless fourth inning for both teams followed.
Gardner-Webb cut into the lead on a solo home run in the fifth inning by Corey Howard, but again WVU responded with a four-run bottom of the fifth to make it 9-3. A single and a walk began the inning and Davis singled home the inning’s first run. A walk to Cramer loaded the bases, and Hill groundout out to bring in another run. With two outs, Galusky then reached on an infield single, scoring another two runs.
Both teams scored two runs in the sixth inning. After two RBI singles cut the WVU advantage to 9-5 with one out and two on in the sixth, senior right-handed reliever Jackson Sigman came in and got a groundout to end the inning.
In the bottom half of the sixth, West Virginia extended the lead back to six, at 11-5, on RBI singles by Cramer and Hill.
West Virginia tacked on another run in the seventh on Davis’ sacrifice fly to make it 12-5.
A 1-2-3 top of the eighth followed for Sigman, with two strikeouts, before WVU scored its final three runs in the bottom of the inning.
A leadoff double by Hill got things going, before Illig’s two-out single scored the first run. Zitel’s home run followed, the first of his career, which scored Illig and made it 15-5.
Freshman Riley Troutt pitched a perfect ninth inning to close out the Mountaineer win.
The series concludes tomorrow, at 1 p.m. ET. Prior to the contest, the Mountaineers will honor senior first baseman Jackson Cramer, senior reliever Jackson Sigman and student manager JT Heenan.
Tickets are available at 1-800-WVU GAME, WVUGAME.com or on gameday at Monongalia County Ballpark.
NOTES: West Virginia improved to 29-20 on the season, 12-8 at home and 18-10 in non-conference action … WVU scored at least 15 runs for the fourth time this season and at least 10 runs for the sixth time … Nine of the 10 Mountaineers with at least one at-bat had at least one hit, while six drove in at least one run … Six of WVU’s 15 runs came with two outs … Kyle Davis led the offense with three hits and a career-high-tying five RBIs with three runs scored and a walk … Andrew Zitel hit his first career home run and drove in a career-high-tying two runs … Starter BJ Myers earned his fourth win of the season, allowing five runs on 11 hits with five strikeouts in 5.1 innings … Reliever Jackson Sigman allowed just one hit in 2.2 innings, while Riley Troutt pitched a perfect ninth inning.
Single game tickets, flex plan tickets and mini packs for the 2017 WVU baseball season are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, going to WVUGAME.com or visiting the Mountaineer Ticket Office in the WVU Coliseum. The 2017 schedule is available on WVUsports.com.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visit WVUsports.com.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (May 13, 2017) – The West Virginia University baseball team’s bats exploded for 15 runs on 15 hits in a 15-5 victory over Gardner-Webb on Saturday afternoon.
The Mountaineers (29-20) scored at least one run in all but one inning and plated more than one run in four innings. The Runnin’ Bulldogs (22-26) were held to five runs on 12 hits, and just one hit in the final 3.2 innings against the WVU bullpen.
“Yeah, we scored more runs today than we have in I think the last four-to-five games combined,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “That’s what you want to do late in the year, you want to keep getting better. I thought our guys’ approach at the plate today and our swings and everything fell into place pretty nicely. Better to have a 15-run game right now than in March. I’m feeling pretty good as we stand here today about our offense.”
All but one player in the West Virginia lineup had at least one hit, and three had three hits. Six Mountaineers drove in at least one run, with five of them plating multiple runs.
Six of West Virginia’s 15 runs came with two outs.
The offensive charge was led by junior left fielder Kyle Davis, who was 3-for-3 with a career-high-tying five RBIs. He scored three runs and walked once.
Sophomore third baseman Ivan Gonzalez and sophomore right fielder Darius Hill also had three hits, with Hill driving in two runs. Sophomore shortstop Jimmy Galusky also drove in three runs in the contest.
Sophomore Andrew Zitel, who entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning, launched his first career home run in the eighth, a two-run shot that hit off the left-field foul pole.
Junior right-handed starter BJ Myers earned his fourth win of the season, allowing five runs on 11 hits in 5.1 innings. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.
The scoring began in the first inning, when Gardner-Webb took an early 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly. The Mountaineers quickly answered in the bottom half to tie the game at 1-1, on Davis’ two-out single up the middle to score sophomore center fielder Braden Zarbnisky.
Both teams again scored a run in the second inning. GWU’s came on an RBI double with one out, while the Mountaineers tied it again at 2-2 on a groundout by Galusky to bring home Hill, who led off the frame with a double.
After Myers pitched a 1-2-3 third inning, the WVU offense scored three runs in the bottom half. Davis got the scoring going with a two-RBI triple to right field, scoring sophomore second baseman Kyle Gray and Gonzalez. Senior first baseman Jackson Cramer then brought home Davis on a groundout.
That gave the Mountaineers a 5-2 lead, and a scoreless fourth inning for both teams followed.
Gardner-Webb cut into the lead on a solo home run in the fifth inning by Corey Howard, but again WVU responded with a four-run bottom of the fifth to make it 9-3. A single and a walk began the inning and Davis singled home the inning’s first run. A walk to Cramer loaded the bases, and Hill groundout out to bring in another run. With two outs, Galusky then reached on an infield single, scoring another two runs.
Both teams scored two runs in the sixth inning. After two RBI singles cut the WVU advantage to 9-5 with one out and two on in the sixth, senior right-handed reliever Jackson Sigman came in and got a groundout to end the inning.
In the bottom half of the sixth, West Virginia extended the lead back to six, at 11-5, on RBI singles by Cramer and Hill.
West Virginia tacked on another run in the seventh on Davis’ sacrifice fly to make it 12-5.
A 1-2-3 top of the eighth followed for Sigman, with two strikeouts, before WVU scored its final three runs in the bottom of the inning.
A leadoff double by Hill got things going, before Illig’s two-out single scored the first run. Zitel’s home run followed, the first of his career, which scored Illig and made it 15-5.
Freshman Riley Troutt pitched a perfect ninth inning to close out the Mountaineer win.
The series concludes tomorrow, at 1 p.m. ET. Prior to the contest, the Mountaineers will honor senior first baseman Jackson Cramer, senior reliever Jackson Sigman and student manager JT Heenan.
Tickets are available at 1-800-WVU GAME, WVUGAME.com or on gameday at Monongalia County Ballpark.
NOTES: West Virginia improved to 29-20 on the season, 12-8 at home and 18-10 in non-conference action … WVU scored at least 15 runs for the fourth time this season and at least 10 runs for the sixth time … Nine of the 10 Mountaineers with at least one at-bat had at least one hit, while six drove in at least one run … Six of WVU’s 15 runs came with two outs … Kyle Davis led the offense with three hits and a career-high-tying five RBIs with three runs scored and a walk … Andrew Zitel hit his first career home run and drove in a career-high-tying two runs … Starter BJ Myers earned his fourth win of the season, allowing five runs on 11 hits with five strikeouts in 5.1 innings … Reliever Jackson Sigman allowed just one hit in 2.2 innings, while Riley Troutt pitched a perfect ninth inning.
Single game tickets, flex plan tickets and mini packs for the 2017 WVU baseball season are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, going to WVUGAME.com or visiting the Mountaineer Ticket Office in the WVU Coliseum. The 2017 schedule is available on WVUsports.com.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visit WVUsports.com.