West Virginia Drops Series Opener to Arizona in Extra Innings

The Mountaineers battle back from a four-run deficit but fell in 16 innings

Christopher Hall | Mar 22, 2025

West Virginia University head coach Steve Sabins / Christopher Hall – West Virginia on SI

Morgantown, WV – In the longest game in Kendrick Family Ballpark history, it took 16 innings before the West Virginia Mountaineers (18-2, 1-1) fell to the Arizona Wildcats (17-4, 4-0) in the series opener Friday night into early Saturday morning, 6-4.

Arizona captured an early lead in the top of the second inning. A leadoff walk and a single back up the middle from junior Mathis Meurant put two on, but a pickoff attempt at second ricocheted off senior Tommy Splaine and placed the runners at second and third. Then, sophomore TJ Adams lined a two-RBI single to centerfield.

The Wildcats added a pair of runs in the third when junior Adonys Guzman slapped a leadoff single through the right side, and Splaine one-hopped a doubled off the left field wall before a two-out short line drive bounced off the turf and off the glove of second baseman Sam White to add a run. Then with the bases loaded, junior Brendan Summerhill hit a hard groundball toward the whole, and although shortstop Brodie Kresser made the diving grab, he didn’t have a play on the field and another runner crossed home plate for an 4-0 Arizona lead.

West Virginia cut into the deficit in the fourth when senior Jace Rinehart doubled into left-centerfield before junior Skylar King dropped an RBI single in left field to pull within three, 4-1.

Senior Kyle West worked a one-out walk in the sixth, junior Chase Swain followed with single to left field, and Kresser loaded the bases after receiving a walk, then junior Logan Sauve smacked a two-RBI single to centerfield to get the Mountaineers back within a run, 4-3.

In the bottom of the ninth, White hit a one-out single and Kelly placed a single through the right side before King hit the game tying RBI single into centerfield, but on an attempt to take second on the throw to third, he was thrown out and the game went into extra innings.

With the bases loaded and two outs on the board, senior Richie Morales delivered a two-RBI single with a grounder in the hole up the middle to give the Wildcats a 6-4 lead, and Arizona senior reliever Mathew Martinez went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame to hold for the 6-4 decision.

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