Offense Carries Mountaineers Past Sooners to Even Series
Norman, OK - After scoring a mere run in a lopsided 15-1 game one loss on Friday night, the West Virginia Mountaineers (30-19, 11-9) produced nine runs on 14 hits for a 9-8 decision over the Oklahoma Sooners (30-18, 12-8) Saturday afternoon to even the series.
West Virginia put the first runs on the board in the third and began when Grant Hussey's swing at strike three in the dirt, resulted in him taking first. Then, Austin Davis hit a high chopping groundball over third base for a base hit before J.J. Wetherholt smacked a single back up the middle, scoring Hussey, and Victor Scot brought around Davis on a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield.
Oklahoma took the lead in the bottom half of the inning after a leadoff walk, followed by a single set up Tanner Tredaway for a three-run home run well over the left field walk for a 3-2 advantage.
Dayne Leonard got the Mountaineers going in the fourth with a one-out single through the left side. Grant Hussey went to the opposite field one-hopping a double off the left field wall before Tevin Tucker delivered a base clearing double down the right field line and reclaiming the lead 4-3.
West Virginia scored another run in the fifth when Victor Scott flared a doubled down the left field line. He advanced to third on a grounder from McGwire Holbrook before Braden Barry drove an RBI double into right-centerfield, extending the lead to 5-3.
In the seventh, J. J. Wetherhold delivered a double before McGwire Holbrook produced a two-out RBI with a base hit back up the middle, pushing the lead to three, 6-3.
Braden Barry led the Mountaineers in the win over Oklahoma, going 2-5 with a two-run home run and three RBIs.
Christopher Hall - Sports Illustrated: West Virginia
West Virginia starting pitcher Ben Hampton tossed six innings, striking out five, allowing three runs on the home run in the third. West Virginia head coach Randy Mazey turned the game over to redshirt junior right-hander Noah Short.
Short was replaced by closer Trey Braithwaite three batters into the lineup and on the first batter he faced, Peyton Graham got the Sooners within a run with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh.
Mountaineers answered in the eighth when Austin Davis dropped a line drive into shallow centerfield for a two-out RBI double. However, mental errors on the base pads may have cost the Mountaineers more runs with Ben Abernathy caught in the middle of second and third on a 2-2 count to Tevin Tucker, who worked a walk and would have loaded the bases had Abernathy not been picked off. Then, Davis tried to stretch the single into a double and was also caught in a rundown.
Braithwaite threw four-straight balls to Jimmy Crooks to lead off the inning. Then, John Spikerman came into the game to pinch hit and dropped a single into the gap in left-centerfield, placing runners at second and third after the throw to third. Wallace Clark drove in Crooks with a chopper over to short to get the Sooners back within a run.
In the ninth, Victor Scott ripped a single into right field, then Brady Barry drove a two-run home run well over the left field wall, increasing the lead back to three, 9-6.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, wild spin on a grounder to first put Tredaway on first. Next, Graham hit a slow roller to short, and the throw to second was not in time before Blake Robertson flared a double down the left field line, scoring one. Brett Squire got the Sooners within a run with a sacrifice groundball over to second, but Braithwaite completed the save win game-ending grounder to short stop Tevin Tucker as the Mountaineer hold on for the 9-8 win.
West Virginia and Oklahoma square in the series finale at 1:00 pm EST and will be streaming on SoonerSports.tv
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