West Virginia Dominates the Backyard Brawl, Forces Mercy Rule Against Pitt

Morgantown, WV - The West Virginia Mountaineers (24-4) crushed the Pitt Panthers (16-12) in front of a record crowd of 4,629 fans at Kendrick Family with a 11-1 win Wednesday night.

West Virginia captured an early 5-0 lead in the bottom of the second with the Mountaineers taking advantage of starting pitcher Antonio Doganiero’s mistakes. The freshman gave up five hits and walked three, while freshman Gavin Kelley recorded his first RBI single of the night, and junior Logan Sauve ripped a two-RBI single and sophomore Amani Guzman and Skylar King were the beneficiaries of RBI walks.

The Panthers scratched a run across in the top of the fourth after a pair of walks and junior Jake Kendro singled on a bunt down the third baseline before WVU freshman starting pitcher Benjamin Hudson beaned senior Luke Cantwell for a Pitt run.

Hudson came into the game in the third inning with the bases loaded and outs and got out of the inning on a double play, marking the first of three consecutive innings he got out of bases loaded situation on an inning-ending double play. He tossed five innings, recorded four strikeouts for his first win of the season.

West Virginia University pitcher Benjamin Hudson | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

In the bottom of the fourth and with two on and two outs, senior Jace Rinehart drove a one-hopper of the left-centerfield wall for a ground-rule RBI double, and Kelley lined a two-RBI single to left field for an 8-1 lead.

Redshirt junior Chase Swain got a piece of the ball that hopped to the pitcher with senior Brodie Kresser standing at third, racing home and diving under the tag for another Mountaineer run in the fifth.

West Virginia added a run I the seventh when senior Grant Hussey drove a triple to right-centerfield and sophomore Armani Guzman lined a single to bring Hussey home for a 10-1 lead.

The Mountaineers forced the mercy rule in eighth after when junior Ben Lumsden received a four-pitch walk, Kelley, and Kresser loaded the bases with single and Hussey delivered the game ending sacrifice RBI as the Mountaineers walk off with the 11-1 decision.

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