WVU bounced back strong after a midweek loss to Penn State. They beat UCF 4-1 in the first game of the series in Orlando. The offense did enough late to secure the victory behind a solid outing from the pitching staff. They move to 35-5 on the season and 14-3 in the Big 12. They are still in sole possession of first in the Big 12 as they extend their conference win streak to 11. WVU plays UCF again on Saturday at 6 p.m. EST. Read more: the Mountaineers get back on track, win 4-1 over UCF.
Recap: The Mountaineers Get Back on Track, Win 4-1 Over UCF
The game started slowly as both pitchers were dealing on the mound. Griffin Kirn started on the bump for WVU and pitched 4.2 innings, only allowing four hits and one unearned run. He allowed a hit against the first batter of the game but got out of the inning. Camden Wicker started for the Knights and pitched five innings before turning it over to the bullpen.
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The Mountaineers went hitless for the first six innings but got on base in the fifth. Grant Hussey and Brodie Kresser were hit by a pitch with one out in the inning. Gavin Kelly walked to load the bases. Hussey scored on a sacrifice fly to center, which resulted in a double play to end the inning. The run scored before the second out though, and WVU took a 1-0 lead.
UCF came back in the bottom of the inning to score one run. Kresser committed an error at shortstop to allow a baserunner with two outs. Kirn hit Dylan King, and DeAmez Ross singled to score the runner from second. Kirn exited the game following the unearned run and was replaced by Reese Bassinger.
WVU got their lone hit in the seventh inning off the bat of Kyle West. He singled with one out, and Hussey followed it with a walk. Armani Guzman pinch-ran for West and stole third, and Hussey stole second to move into scoring position. Kresser hit a sacrifice fly to score Guzman from third to give WVU a one-run lead.
The eighth inning featured much of the same for WVU. Chase Swain reached on an error to start the inning. A hit batter and a walk loaded the bases for Sam White. He hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Swain. Jace Rinehart knocked in the second run of the inning on a groundout to shortstop. It gave WVU a 4-1 lead with Chase Meyer on the mound. Meyer gave way to Carson Estridge in the bottom of the ninth, and he secured a save for another Mountaineer victory.
Key Takeaways
The Mountaineers found a way to win the game, but it was not pretty for the offense. They only had one hit in the game but used aggressive baserunning to set themselves up to score. They had five stolen bases on the night, and three sacrifice flies. WVU also capitalized on an error, which they must do as they move into the end of the season. They showed some toughness and patience at the plate, as well. Skylar King was hit by three pitches while the team combined for six. They also drew four walks, which was vital in winning this game. The bats did not get hot as they typically do, but they scored runs in other ways.
The pitching was outstanding tonight. Kirn had a quality start, throwing 47 of 63 pitches for strikes. He hit one batter but did not walk anyone and got one strikeout. Kresser’s error was unfortunate, as UCF capitalized on it. They must clean up the mistakes in the field when their starter is not striking batters out. Bassinger and Meyer did not limit baserunners, allowing five combined hits and three combined walks, but they got out unscathed. It was not pretty, but they got the job done. Estridge has been phenomenal recently. He pitched one inning and had one strikeout to get the save. It was an unorthodox win for the Mountaineers, but a win nonetheless.
