The West Virginia University baseball team recovered from a brutal 16-inning loss Friday night, taking the second game of the weekend series 11-3 against Arizona to hand the Wildcats their first Big 12 loss of the season. Read more WVU baseball recovers as Bassinger excels in win over Arizona
AU (17-5, 4-2 Big 12) scored the first two runs, but WVU (19-2, 2-1 Big 12) responded to score 11 of the game’s next 12 runs to earn the win.
Game Recap
Arizona struck first in the top of the first inning with an RBI double, before doubling their lead in the second inning on a single through the left side. West Virginia answered in the bottom of the third when junior second baseman Sam White doubled to left center, scoring senior shortstop Brodie Kresser and redshirt junior third baseman Chase Swain to make the score 2-2. Arizona regained the lead in the fourth with a leadoff solo homer, but this wouldn’t last long.
READ: MOUNTAINEERS VS. TARHEELS PREVIEW
Senior right fielder Jace Rinehart homered to left field to start the bottom of the fourth to tie it back up at 3-3. Later in the inning Kresser singled up the middle to plate junior center fielder Skylar King and take a 5-4 lead. After Arizona starter Own Kramkowski was pulled, White hit a bases-clearing double, scoring junior catcher Logan Sauve, Kresser and sophomore left fielder Michael Perazza to put the Mountaineers up 8-4. Senior left fielder Kyle West capped off the inning with a double to right center, as White crossed home plate to make it 9-4.
WVU added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh, as an RBI double by King scored Rinehart, and senior first baseman Grant Hussey singled to score King the next at-bat. The Mountaineers had a much better time at the plate, going 14-37 (.378) with five doubles and a homer. White was the star of the lineup, going 3-5 with five RBI and two doubles. West, Rinehart and King each had two hits apiece, while Kresser drove in two runs.
After a grueling game last night, WVU was able to win using only two pitchers. Junior right-handed pitcher Gavin Van Kempen started, pitching 3.2 innings giving up three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three batters.
Bassinger
Senior right Reese Bassinger came in to relieve him in the fourth inning, as the Tarleton State transfer helped the Mountaineers to victory with one of the best performances from a West Virginia player so far this season, as he pitched tremendous 5.1 innings where he allowed no runs, one hit, one walk and struck out eight batters. In total the WVU pitching staff gave up three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out 11 batters in nine innings.
The series is up for grabs tomorrow in the rubber match, with first pitch set for 2 p.m.
