West Virginia Scores 15 Runs to Capture Season Opening Win

The West Virginia Mountaineers (1-0) found themselves in a battle in Statesboro (GA) early in the contest, trailing 3-1, before scoring 14 unanswered runs to hammer the Georgia Southern Eagles (0-1) Friday night, 15-3 – the most runs by WVU in a season opener since the 1964 club produced 18 runs against Catholic (D.C.) in 1964.

With two outs in the bottom of the first, Georgia Southern put the first run on the board. Redshirt senior James McCoy worked a full count walk before a ground ball to third from redshirt senior Sean White, junior third baseman Tyrus Hall hesitated on throw to second and McCoy beat the throw, opening the door for redshirt senior Bryson Trammell to drop an RBI single to centerfield for a 1-0 lead.

The Eagles extended the advantage in the second. Redshirt junior Nico Senese grounded to short, and sophomore shortstop Matt Ineich threw the ball wide, pulling senior first baseman Brodie Kresser off the bag for an infield single. Davis followed with a single on a sharp ground ball through the left side for a single. WVU sophomore starting pitcher Chansen Cole beaned junior Grant Jordan to load the bases before recording his second strikeout of the night. Jack Myers put the ball in play with a slow chopper to short for an RBI and the 2-0 lead.

West Virginia got on the board in the third after Hall ripped a leadoff single to right field and then with two outs, junior Armani Guzman drilled an RBI double down the right field line to pull the Mountaineers within one, 2-1.

Cole left in the third with two on and two outs. He allowed two runs on four hits and posted three strikeouts in 2.2 innings with 63 total pitches on the day. Sabins stated earlier in the week that the pitch count for the pitching staff would be no higher that 75 total pitches.

Tennessee redshirt junior transfer Bryson Thacker entered the game and delivered three consecutive strikes to get out of the inning.

Georgia Southern added a run in the fourth to reclaim the two-run advantage. After Thacker put two aboard, beaning one and walking another, Myers laid down the sacrifice bunt before McCoy hit a deep fly by to right field for the sacrifice RBI and the 3-1 lead.

West Virginia cut the deficit back to one in the fifth after Hall hit a leadoff single and on the steal to second, a wild pitch from freshman reliever Dayson Griffis allowed Hall to steal third. With one out and Hall standing on second, Ineich was hit by the pitch. Then, Ineich was caught stealing at second, but Hall took off down the line on the throw and slid safely home.

The Mountaineers broke the game open with a six-run sixth inning. Senior Ben Lumsden hit a deep fly for the sacrifice RBI fly to tie the game, then Craig Kalkbrenner balked to bring in the go ahead run. Sophomore Gavin Kelly dug out the 1-2 pitch for a two-RBI double to right field and Guzman followed with a double down the same alley for a pair of RBIs and an 8-3 lead.

In the eighth, Hall collected his third hit on the night with a single to centerfield and Ineich received a four-pitch walk. Then with two outs, Georgia Southern senior transfer Sean Smith reached on an errant throw to first and the throw to second bounced on the glove and into the outfield to score a pair of runs.

Ohio State senior transfer Mathew Graveline recorded his first RBI as a Mountaineer with a drive to left centerfield, and JUCO transfer Paul Schoenfeld dropped an RBI single to left field to give WVU a 12-3 lead.

Senior right-handed reliever Reese Bassinger took the mound in the fifth and tossed 3.2 scoreless innings to collect the win as redshirt sophomore JJ Glascock entered the game in the ninth and faced the minimum to secure the 15-3 decision.

West Virginia and Georgia Southern are set to meet in game two and three on Saturday in a doubleheader. Game one is set for 2:00 p.m. EST and the series finale will begin approximately 45 minutes following game one.

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI