Houston had more answers for the Mountaineers tonight, but it was still insufficient to get the job done. WVU has won their ninth consecutive game and moved to 17-1 on the road this season. They are now 29-4 overall with a conference record of 9-3. Read more: WVU wins ninth consecutive game 9-8 over Houston.
Benjamin Hudson earned the win after replacing starter Gavin Van Kempen. Carson Estridge came in late to get his second save of the season. Chase Meyer bridged the gap between Hudson and Estridge and struck out four in 1.2 innings. It was a great effort by both sides to earn a victory after trailing 3-0 after the first inning.
Recap: WVU Wins Ninth Consecutive Game 9-8 over Houston
Van Kempen struggled out of the gates on Saturday night. He allowed Xavier Perez to reach first on a single down the right-field line. Perez then moved to second on a passed ball and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Coby Dejesus hit a two-run home run with two outs in the inning to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead.
READ: Top of Lineup Shines as WVU Wins Opener over Houston
The Mountaineers responded strongly in the second inning, scoring three of their own. Jace Rinehart and Sam White both singled to start the inning. Rinehart scored on a Grant Hussey ground out. White and Chase Swain scored on a Gavin Kelly double down the left-field line. Van Kempen regrouped with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half.
The third inning featured two runs from WVU. Kyle West walked, and Sam White singled to set the stage for Swain. He tripled down the right-field line. It gave the Mountaineers a 5-3 lead. Van Kempen gave up one run in the bottom half of the inning. Aaron Lugo scored on a double play, and Benjamin Hudson replaced Van Kempen for the final out.
WVU kept the runs coming in the fourth inning, scoring two off a Kyle West double. They scored two to start the fifth, as well. Chris Scinta walked two batters to start the inning for Houston. He was replaced by Graysen Drezek, who gave up two unearned runs. Gavin Kelly grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Swain. Skylar King singled to left center to score Grant Hussey. Hudson gave up a three-run home run to Malachi Lott after hitting a batter and a walk. Houston was back in the game, down 9-7 after the fifth inning.
Chase Meyer replaced Hudson in the sixth inning and struck out the side. He continued into the seventh after the Mountaineers were blanked for the second consecutive inning. Meyer walked four straight batters with two outs to give up another run and was replaced by Carson Estridge. Estridge got out of the inning, but the Cougars made it 9-8.
Estridge pitched a shutout through 2.1 innings and only allowed one hit. The biggest play of the game came in the eighth inning. Tre Broussard singled to shortstop Brodie Kresser and beat out the throw, but Jake Tatom was thrown out at the plate trying to tie the game from second. First baseman Grant Hussey threw him out at home on a heads-up play and saved the game. The game finished 9-8, and the Mountaineers won the second game of the series.
Takeaways
The pitching staff showed resilience after a bumpy start and some mental errors down the stretch. Meyer walking four consecutive batters is a concern moving forward. Sam White went three for five as DH. Gavin Kelly went three for five, as well, with two RBIs. Kyle West also had a stellar game. He scored a run and went one for two, with two walks and two RBIs. Chase Swain added two RBIs and two runs after going one for three with two walks. It was an impressive win for the Mountaineers as they prepare for a quick turnaround. The final game of the series is tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. in Houston, Texas.
