West Virginia Hammers Baylor for Mercy Rule Win, Evens Series

The West Virginia Mountaineers (12-2, 1-1) crushed the Baylor Bears Saturday afternoon, forcing the run rule, and evened the series with a 12-2 game two win. WVU sophomore starting pitcher Chansen Cole threw six innings, recorded five strikeouts for his third win of the season, while senior Paul Schoenfeld registered four RBI on three hits, including a double and a triple.

West Virginia jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first inning after sophomore Matt Ineich worked a leadoff walk, sophomore Gavin Kelly followed with a line drive into the gap of left centerfield, and Shoenfeld hit the bottom of the wall for a two RBI double. Then, with one and Schoenfeld standing on second, senior Brock Wills flared an RBI double down the left field line for a 3-0 WVU lead.

The Mountaineers added three in the second when with runners standing on second and third, Schoenfeld lined a single to centerfield to bring in a run. Next, Wills rolled an RBI single up the middle and senior Brodie Kresser dropped an RBI single in shallow right field for a 6-0 advantage.

Junior Armani Guzman tacked on a run in the fourth. With runners standing on the corners, Guzman dropped a bunt back to the mound and senior reliever Cade Hansen flipped the ball back to the plate as Wills beat the tag for a 7-0 lead.

Baylor redshirt senior Tyce Armstrong put the Bears on the board in the bottom of the frame with a two-run home run.

After Baylor redshirt freshman Brayden Berman issued walks to Ineich and Kelly, Shoenfeld laid down a bunt to advance the runners before senior Sean Smith placed a two RBI single to shallow centerfield for a 9-2 lead.

West Virginia produced its third three-run inning in the sixth. Guzman hit a leadoff double and with one out and the junior standing on third, junior Tyrus Hall squeezed an RBI single past short and Ineich flared an RBI single down the left field line. Then, with two outs, Schoenfeld drove an RBI triple off the bottom of the centerfield wall for a 12-2 advantage.

Guzman hit an RBI sacrifice fly in the seventh as the Mountaineers rolled to a 13-2 seven-inning win.

West Virginia and Baylor will meet in a series deciding game three on Sunday. The first pitch is set for noon EST and the action will stream on ESPN.