WVU prevails in wild two-day affair at Cincinnati
No. 12 West Virginia defeated Cincinnati 9-5 in an exciting extra-inning battle inside Marge Schott Stadium from Friday to Saturday.
This two-day affair began in sunny Cincinnati on Friday at 5 p.m. and was forced to finish Saturday evening as rain kicked both teams off the field in the 12th inning. The contest picked up with the score even at five, and Charlie Niehaus at the plate with a 3-2 count. Right-hander Reese Bassinger was on the mound at the time of the pause, but WVU went with right-hander Chansen Cole, the typical Sunday starter, to finish the game.
WVU had the game in its control up to the halfway point. Two quick runs from the Mountaineers gave them the early lead, but Cincinnati exploded for four runs in the fifth, taking the lead. A seesaw eighth inning saw WVU tie the game, but that did not stand for long as the Bearcats put the game in their favor. The Mountaineers did not go down without a fight, knotting the game back up in the ninth. Five innings and a day later, WVU blew the game open in its first scoring opportunity.
Right-hander Ian Korn toed the rubber for WVU in his first start of the season. He fired four strong innings, allowing just two runners to reach, before running into trouble in the fifth. Korn’s final stat line was 4.1 innings, five strikeouts and three earned runs on five hits.
Bassinger had an outstanding game out of the bullpen. He fired 4.1 innings with seven strikeouts, allowing an earned run as four runners reached.
Cincinnati was given a tremendous effort from its ace, right-hander Nathan Taylor. After a shaky start, he settled in and delivered seven innings with 10 punch-outs, allowing two earned runs on seven hits on a season-high 114 pitches.
Catcher Gavin Kelly did the heavy lifting for the Mountainneers with a home run and two singles. First baseman/outfielder Ben Lumsden saw a clutch pinch-hit double with three RBIs. Combined, WVU out-hit Cincinnati 18-11, but left 13 runners on while the Bearcats left seven.
In the blink of an eye, WVU took a 2-0 lead. Shortstop Matt Ineich started the game with a six-pitch walk, then catcher Gavin Kelly took a heater dead center for his sixth home run of the season. Center fielder Paul Schoenfled walked, but designated hitter Sean Smith hit a sharp grounder for a double play before a flyout ended the frame.
Korn sat down the Bearcats in order, with some help from a diving play by left fielder Matthew Graveline in foul territory, ending the first.
In the second, WVU started a two-out rally, but it was halted. Graveline singled to center on the first pitch he saw, then right fielder Brock Wills snuck a double down the third baseman. Ineich struck out, ending the scoring threat. Korn worked another perfect inning, with some help from a running grab from Schoenfled before slamming into the center field wall.
In the third, Korn retired the first two batters, then allowed his first hit of the game with a double from Niehaus. Korn punched out the next batter, sending the game into the fourth inning as WVU led 2-0.
After a clean fourth inning from both sides, the Bearcats cracked the scoring column with four runs, taking the lead. Korn allowed two singles before an RBI double from Cal Sefcik. Christian Mitchelle then hit a sacrifice fly, where Wills made a diving play but did not get the throw home in time. This ended Korn’s day, bringing in right-hander Carson Estridge. He allowed a single, then Jackson Smith brought home another with a base hit. The final run came home after a wild pitch from Estridge.
Through five innings, WVU trailed 4-2.
WVU could not respond, going down in order with two strikeouts. But Estridge returned to the hill and did the same, ending the sixth with a strikeout.
An out started the seventh inning, then Graveline beat out an infield single. A mound visit occurred, and Taylor pleaded to stay in the game, which he did, ending his outing with two lineouts. Estridge came back out and sat down the first two batters. He surrendered a walk, but Kelly ended the frame with a throwout from behind the plate.
Kelly began the eighth inning with a single to left field. Two flyouts followed before WVU went to its bench for a spark. Ryan Maggy pinch-hit for third baseman Tyrus Hall and fell 0-2 before dropping a single to right field. Weston Mazey entered as a pinch runner for Maggy, and Ben Lumsden hit for second baseman Brodie Kresser. Lumsden drilled a double down the line, scoring both runs and tying the game. Graveline ended the inning after being robbed of extra bases with a leaping play at the center field wall.
The tie did not last long as right-hander Reese Bassinger started the bottom half. He induced a flyout to start the frame, then allowed a 401-foot homer off the bat of Ryan Tyranski. Two outs followed, sending the Mountaineers to the plate down a run.
Wills started the last half with a groundout. Ineich walked in the next at-bat, then was pinch-run for by Maxwell Molessa. Then, Kelly rifled a single to right field, advancing Molessa to third base. Schoenfeld was gifted a single as the left fielder broke back on a ball that dropped a good amount ahead of him. Molessa was able to score, knotting the game back up. Sean Smith lined out to center field in the next at-bat. WVU went to the bench again, bringing up Matthew Robaugh, who flew out, ending the frame.
With the score even at five, Bassinger returned to the mound and punched out the side.
To start free baseball, Lumsden somehow got a check swung flare to drop over the shortstop’s head for a single. First baseman Armani Guzman was hit by a pitch, then Graveline laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing both up a base. Wills lined out to second base, and Lumsden was nearly doubled up at third before Molessa ended the frame with a lineout.
Bassinger was back on the mound and started the frame with two groundouts before a walk. In the next at-bat, with two strikes, Bassinger let a slider get away for a wild pitch, moving the runner to scoring position, then a groundout ended the frame.
WVU went down in order, returning Bassinger. He allowed an infield single to begin the frame, sitting down the next two batters. A hit by pitch put runners on first and second with two outs, then Bassiner got a looking strikeout, sending the game to the 12th.
A strikeout started the 12th before Lumsden just missed a go-ahead homer, as the wind knocked down a deep flyball at the right field warning track. Guzman singled, but was thrown out stealing second as he beat the throw, but with the wet turf, he slid off the bag as the second baseman held the tag.
Yet again, Bassinger returned and earned a strikeout. The weather began to improve, forcing the game into a delay, which was picked up the next day.
Cole got on the rubber with a 3-2 count and saw a looking strikeout, then a groundout.
It all went wrong for the Bearcats in the 13th. WVU added three runs before an out was recorded, after two infield singles and a wild pitch set up Molessa for two RBI single. Schoenfeld then laid down a perfect throw that caused an error from the catcher, scoring a run. After an out, Lumsden plated a run witha dielders choice to second base.
Entering the bottom half, WVU led 9-5. Cole struck out the leadoff man, then loaded the bases, before a tailor-made six-four-three double play ended the game.
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