Brodie Kresser’s Walk-Off Grand Slam Lifts No. 24 Mountaineers Past Columbia in Extras

The No. 24 West Virginia Mountaineers (9-3) evened the series against the Columbia Lions (2-6) Saturday afternoon after senior Brodie Kresser delivered a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning for the 9-5 win.

West Virginia threatened to scratch a runner across in the first and the third inning before platting two in the fourth to place the first runs on the board. Senior Brock Wills lined a leadoff single to right centerfield and senior Sean Smith smacked a single into leftfield before junior Armani Guzman rolled an RBI single through the right side of the infield. Then, with runners at the corners, a double steal brought home Smith for a 2-0 lead.

The Mountaineers tacked on a run in the fifth, sophomore Gavin Kelly one-hopped a leadoff double to right centerfield. Senior Paul Schoenfeld advanced Kelly to third after driving the ball into the turf back to the mound, and senior Mathew Graveline grounded to third, bringing home Kelly and reaching on a high throw from senior Jimmy Chadwell.

After tossing five scoreless innings, West Virginia starting pitcher Chansen Cole found himself in a jam in the sixth. Senir Jack Kail led the inning off with a single and Cole issued a walk to junior Owen Estabrook dropped an RBI double to shallow right-center, ending Cole’s afternoon.

West Virginia head coach Steve Sabins called lefty Bryson Thacker from the bullpen. The redshirt sophomore could not get out of the inning. He struck out one before Ben Fishel made contact on the 3-1 pitch with a slow roller to first, but Guzman could not pick it off the turf as a run scored. Thacker then beaned junior Hunter Snyder to lead the bases and fifth-year senior Charlie Slabaugh brought in the tying run with a deep sacrifice fly ball to centerfield. A pair of walks from Thacker brought in the go-ahead run before senior reliever Reese Bassinger got the Mountaineers out of the inning as the Lions seized a 4-3 advantage.

West Virginia regained the lead in the seventh after Schoenfeld beat the throw on a deep ground ball toward second. Then, Graveline ripped a ground ball past first and a short-hopped throw to second was bobbled, scoring Schoenfeld. Wills followed with an RBI single through the right side as the Mountaineers held a 5-4 lead.

Reese Bassinger put out the fire in the sixth, but the Lions bats scratched another runner across in the eighth when Fishel singled back up the middle to lead off the inning and Chadwell sliced a two-out single to place runners at the corners. Sabins tabbed freshman David Perez into the game. Sophomore Jackson Brewer blasted the 1-2 pitch off the top of the wall, bringing in the tying run, but Chadwell, attempting to score from first, was thrown out at home to end the inning.

In the bottom of the tenth, and with the bases loaded, Brodie Kresser lifted the 0-1 pitch over the visitor’s bullpen for a walk off grand slam as the Mountaineers captured game three with the 9-5 decision.

The Mountaineers in Lions are back in action on Sunday for a series deciding game three. The first pitch is set for 12:30 p.m. EST and the action will stream on ESPN+.