No. 17 West Virginia's Late Push Buries Texas Tech

The No. 17 West Virginia Mountaineers (23-7, 9-4) downed the Texas Tech Red Raiders (19-14, 5-8) in the first of a three-game series Friday night, 12-8.

West Virginia captured the lead in the top of the second inning when senior Brock Wills dug out the 1-0 pitch for a two-out single back up the middle, senior Ben Lumsden was issued a walk and junior Tyrus Hall brought in the first run with an RBI single in shallow right centerfield. A double steal by Lumsden and Hall capped the inning for a 2-0 lead.

Texas Tech put a run on the board in the bottom of the frame after Matt Quintanar rolled a two-out single up the middle, senior Tracer Lopez lined a double off the end of the back to left centerfield, and sophomore Coleman Ryan dropped an RBI single to shallow centerfield.

The Mountaineers tacked on a run in the third. Sophomore Gavin Kelly hit a hard ground ball down the third base line, freshman Garcia made the diving stop, but Kelly beat the throw to first for the leadoff single. Senior Paul Schoenfeld followed with a single and beating the throw from a diving Lopez from second. Then, after an attempted 1-6-3 double play, the ball skipped past junior starting pitcher Lukas Pirko, who was covering first, scoring Kelly from second for the 3-1 advantage.

The Red Raiders claimed the lead in the fifth. Consecutive one-out singles from junior Kyeler Thompson and junior Caden Ferraro set up Connor Shouse to hit a fly ball that hopped past Wills for a two-RBI double. Then, with the bases loaded, freshman Jesse Rusinek ripped a double down the left field line for a pair of RBI and a 5-3 Red Raiders' lead.

In the seventh, Lumsden received a four-pitch, leadoff walk and Hall followed with a chopper to third, beat the throw, for an infield single. Sophomore Matt Ineich hit into a double play, but with Lumsden standing on third, Kelly singled to right field on the 1-2 pitch to pull the Mountaineers win one. Then, following a single from Schoenfeld, Smith hit a high fly ball deep down the right field line, dropping by the glove Rusinek for a two-RBI double to reclaim the WVU lead, 6-5.

West Virginia starting pitcher Dawson Montesa tossed seven innings with five strikeouts on the night. The junior right-hander threw a season-high 130 pitches.

Reese Bassinger took the mound for the Mountaineers in the eighth. The junior gave up a leadoff single to Lopes and Coleman advance him to second on a sacrifice bunt. He delivered four consecutive balls to Thompson before WVU head coach Steve Sabins brought in freshman reliever David Perez. He issued a four-pitch walk to Ferraro to load the bases. Then, Shouse hit a ground ball to first to bring in the tying run.

Kelly was beaned to begin the ninth and Schoenfeld moved him to third with a hit to right centerfield, but was thrown out at second attempting to stretch it into a double. Then with Smith standing with a 2-0 count, he would be intentionally, walked as would junior Armani Guzman to load the bases. Senior Matthew Graveline stepped up to the plate and on the 2-2 pitch, flared a two-RBI single to right field. A pair of walks

Texas Tech out a pair of runs on the board in the bottom of the inning, receiving RBIs from Lopez and Ferraro, but the Red Raiders fall well short as the Mountaineers took the 12-8 decision.

West Virginia The first pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. EST and the action will stream on ESPN+.