West Virginia Cruises in Game 2 Against Kennesaw State, Take Series

The West Virginia Mountaineers (8-1) handled the Kennesaw State Owls (4-5) Saturday afternoon 9-1.

West Virginia sophomore Matt Ineich worked a led the game off with a walk, sophomore Gavin Kelly double into the gap in right centerfield, then junior Armani Guzman placed a sacrifice fly to left field for the early 1-0 advantage.

The Mountaineers added a pair of runs in the second after senior Brock Wills was issued a leadoff walk. Then, with Wills standing on second, senior Ben Lumsden lined an RBI single into right field. Junior Tyrus Hall followed with a single before Lumsden took third on a fly ball to centerfield from Ineich, and crossed home on a wild pitch for the 3-0 lead.

Hall tacked on a run in the fourth with a leadoff home run.

West Virginia starting pitcher Chansen Cole threw five scoreless innings and recorded five strikeouts, upping his season total to 15, and collecting his second win of the season. In his last two starts, he has thrown 10.1 innings and has allowed just four hits and no runs.

In the eight, West Virginia added to its leads after Hall singled and Kelly and Guzman received walks to load the bases with two outs. Senior Matthew Graveline hit a slow roller to third and beat the throw to first to bring the first run of the eighth. Then, senior Paul Schoenfeld flared a two-RBI single to centerfield for the 7-0 advantage.

After two scoreless innings in relief and a pair of strikeouts from senior Reese Bassinger, right-hander Bryant Yoak took the mound in the eighth. Junior Cooper Williams got the better of the sophomore with a two-out solo home run to put the Owls on the board.

Guzman added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth. With two on and two outs, Guzman hit a hard ground ball deep at first, and beat the pitcher and the throw as two runs scored, and the Mountaineers held a 9-1 advantage.

Sophomore right-hander David Hagen took the hill in the ninth and kept Kennesaw State off the board as the Mountaineers take the series with a 9-1 decision.

West Virginia and Kennesaw State will wrap up the three-game series Sunday afternoon. The first pitch is set for noon with the action streaming on ESPN+.