West Virgina Walks off Baylor in Big 12 Opener

Granville, WV - West Virginia (18-10, 3-1) took the first game of Mountaineers Big 12 Conference home opener 7-6 over the Baylor Bears (16-13, 2-5) Friday evening.

West Virginia sophomore Mikey Kluska led the Mountaineers at the plate, going 3-4 with a pair of RBIs, while Austin Davis went 2-3 and McGwire Holbrook was 2-4 with home run.

Holbrook captured momentum for the Mountaineers in the bottom of the second after delivering a leadoff double and Braden Barry followed it up with a bunt down the third base line for a single and placing runners at the corners. Then, with one out and Barry swiping second, Kluska went opposite on a line drive down the right field line for a two-RBI double. Austin Davis extended the lead with an infield single, and the errant throw to first scored Kluska as WVU grabbed the early 3-0 lead.

However, after West Virginia starting pitcher Jacob Watters walked the bases loaded in the second and working himself out of the jam unscathed, the Bears loaded the bases in the third and Baylor's Jared McKenzie and Kyle Nevin hit consecutive singles to tie the game at three.

Watters gave up two more runs in the fourth after three singles and an errant throw put the Bears up 5-3 before head coach Rany Mazey called in the right-handed junior Noah Short to close out the inning.

Holbrook got the Mountaineers back within a run in the bottom of the inning with a 399-foot solo home run.

The Bears pushed the lead back to two in the sixth after a passed ball on strike three allowed McKenzie to take first, but with two outs and a runner at first, back-to-back singles scored another run as Baylor took a 6-4 lead.

Austin Davis hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the eighth, then J.J. Wetherholt brought Davis home with a double to get the Mountaineers within one. Victor Scott was hit by a pitch before Ben Abernathy followed with a pinch-hitting sacrifice bunt, but reliever Mason Marriot mishandled the play, loading the bases.

Mazey opted for Braden Barry to pinch hit with the bases loaded and one out, and on a 3-2 pitch, it just missed the outside of the plate as Marriot walked in the winning run and the Mountaineers take game one 7-6.

"[Barry] He's like five for nine as a pinch hitter this year and that's his role, he's accepted that role and usually he's in there with the game on the line which he was tonight, and he's done it before and got some really big hits for us."

After Watters five earned runs on 3.1 innings, Noah Short struck out six in 3.1 innings and Carlson Reed and Trey Braithwaite combined no runs and three strikeouts in 2.1 innings with Braithwaite getting his second win of the season.

"I just told them we won the game in the bullpen today," said Mazey. "Those three guys came in and did a really good job, kept those guys right where we needed to be."

West Virginia and Baylor will square off in game two Saturday at Monongalia County Ballpark with the first pitch set for two.

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