Mountaineers Handle Nittany Lions 8-4

State College, PA - The West Virginia Mountaineers (21-10) grabbed the first game of a two-game season series over the Penn State Nittany Lions (12-18) Tuesday night 8-4. Victor Scott, McGwire Holbrook and Austin Davis combined for eight hits and five RBI's while Zach Ottinger collects his second win of the season.

Victor Scott ripped a two out triple down the right field line, one hopping off the wall before McGwire Holbrook brought him home, flaring a single to over the right side of second base into centerfield to give the Mountaineers the early 1-0 advantage in the top of the first.

West Virginia put up six runs in the third after Tevin Tucker hit a leadoff single and took second on an errant pickoff attempt before Austin Davis bunted just left of the pitcher for an infield single, placing runners at the corners. J.J. Wetherholt scored Tucker on a sacrifice groundball to short. Then, Victor Scott hit the gap in left-centerfield for an RBI double. Scott proceeded to steal third, setting up an RBI single for McGwire Holbrook and ending the evening for starting pitcher Tommy Molsky. Head coach Rob Cooper called in Jordan Morales.

Braden Barry kept the inning alive with a single through the left side, then Dayne Leonard followed suit, plating Holbrook and an errant throw on a play at third scored Barry. Grant Hussey produced the sixth run of the inning with an RBI double but was thrown out at third trying to stretch it into a triple as the Mountaineers held a 7-0 lead.

Penn State put two runs on the board in the bottom of the inning following a double from Matt Wood before Cole Bartels powered a two-run homerun over the leftfield wall to cut into the WVU lead, 7-2.

West Virginia starting pitcher Tyler Strechay gave up another double and a sacrifice groundball placed the runner at third before head coach Randy Mazey called in Aidan Major from the bullpen, and he'd get out of the inning on a pair of pop flies.

West Virginia added another run in the fourth when Austin Davis hit a high chopper over third base for a single and made his way third on blooper over shortstop from Wetherholt, then Victor Scott recorded an RBI single on a bunt, pushing the lead to 8-2. It forced Cooper to call back out to his bullpen for Carson Kohls, who ended the inning on one pitch into a double play.

In the bottom of the fifth, freshman Trent Hodgon took the hill, Bartles worked a one-out walk setting up Josh Spiegel to go opposite field for a two-run home run to get the Nittany Lions within four, 8-4. Hodgon retired one more before Mazey brought in Zach Ottinger to finish the inning.

Ottinger went two and a third with three strikeouts before Noah Short took over to begin the eighth, recording two strikeouts. Then, Ben Abernathy was handed the ball in the ninth. He allowed one hit but comes away unscathed and with the save as West Virginia extended its winnings streak to six with the 8-4 decision.

West Virginia is back in action on Friday as they host the third-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys at Monongalia County Ballpark with the first pitch set for 6:30 in the first of a three-game series. Game two is set for 4:00 and the series finale is scheduled for 1:00 pm Sunday.

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