WVU takes game 1 against Kansas State 7-0, Yehl returns
No. 18 West Virginia defeated Kansas State 7-0, taking game one of the weekend set inside Kendrick Family Ballpark Friday night.
This is the fifth time this season WVU has shut out its opponent.
Returning to the mound after a week’s hiatus was southpaw Maxx Yehl. He hurled five scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, allowing three hits and two walks. This was Yehl’s first outing since leaving April 18’s contest early with an arm injury. The win improves him to 6-1, lowering his ERA to 2.20 on the season.
Out of the bullpen, right-hander Ian Korn delivered four impressive innings. He struck out two, allowing a hit and just one free pass.
At the plate, second baseman Brodie Kresser led the charge with two hits and RBIs each. Center fielder Paul Schoenfeld was 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Right fielder Brock Wills also brought in a run with two hits.
To begin the game, Yehl faced the minimum, ending with a strikeout. WVU then came up and scored the first run. Catcher Gavin Kelly came back from down 0-2, working a walk, then Schoenfeld shot a double through the left center field gap, scoring Kelly.
In the third inning, Yehl struck out two batters with a walk in between. Kelly was having trouble squeezing pitches, allowing the runner to advance to second base. Another passed ball occurred, and the runner raced around third, trying to score, but Yehl covered, and Kelly tossed it to him with plenty of time to spare, ending the inning.
WVU added another run in the bottom half. Shortstop Matt Ineich singled, and Kelly advanced him to third after dropping a single into right field. After an out, designated hitter Sean Smith recorded a sacrifice fly RBI to center field. With two outs, left fielder Mathew Graveline drilled a ball that was caught in the air by the third baseman on one knee, ending the inning.
After three innings, WVU led 2-0.
Kansas State put ducks on the pond in the fifth inning, but was unable to score. Yehl walked the first batter he saw, then earned two strikeouts. He hit the next batter, then a sliding play from Kresser at second base ended the frame, neutralizing the threat.
In the bottom half, WVU added a run and was robbed of more. Ineich began the inning with a walk, and Kelly flied out. Schoenfeld and Smith both singled, loading the bases. Graveline came up and shot a bullet to center field, where Cadyn Karl covered a country mile, making a diving play. It ended up being a sacrifice fly, but it was almost a base-clearing extra-base hit.
Heading into the sixth inning, WVU led 3-0.
Korn entered in the sixth and worked a one-two-three inning.
Korn sat down the side in order again in the seventh, then the Mountaineers added four more runs. An out started the chance, before Schoenfeld singled up the middle, Smith walked and first baseman Armani Guzman was hit with a pitch. On a 3-2 count and two outs, the runners were sent into motion as Kresser beat the shift with a grounder through the right side, scoring two. With runners on the corners, Kresser stole, and the throw down to second allowed Guzman to come home. Wills then singled to center field, plating Kresser.
After seven innings, WVU led 7-0.
In the ninth inning, Korn allowed his first hit with a leadoff double. He induced a groundout in the next at-bat, as the runner advanced to third. A flyout occurred with no movement from the runner at third, then a groundout ended the game.
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