West Virginia Takes Down Troy in College World Series Opener

The West Virginia Mountaineers (46-15) opened the College World Series with a 7-5 win over the Troy Trojans (38-31) Friday afternoon in the program's first ever appearance in the CWS.

West Virginia junior Armani Guzman put the Mountaineers on the board in the bottom of the first inning. He reached first after chopping a ground ball under the glove of senior second baseman Sean Darnell and racing to second. Next, he took third on a dropped strike three. Then with two outs and the count sitting at 0-1, Guzman took off for home, sliding under the tag for the 1-0 WVU lead.

Troy responded in the top of the second and did its damage with two outs on the board. Darnell doubled to right centerfield before junior Jabe Boroff ripped an RBI single through the left side, tying the game at one.

West Virginia reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the frame after sophomore Matt Ineich worked out of an 0-2 count with a walk. Senior Brodie Kresser followed with a ground ball through the right side and senior Ben Lumsden advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Then, on the first pitch delivered to Tyrus Hall, he drove a two-RBI double off the left centerfield wall for a 3-1 advantage.

West Virginia starting pitcher Chansen Cole was chased off the mound in the third. Senior Blake Cavill lined a one-out single back up the middle and sophomore Jimmy Janicki sliced a double through the right side. Senior Steven Meier brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field and senior Drew Nelson ripped an RBI single to centerfield. Then, after Nelson swiped second, senior Sean Darnell drove an RBI double to left centerfield for the Trojans first lead of the afternoon 4-3.

West Virginia head coach handed the ball to graduate Ian Korn and the right-hander registered the final out of the inning.

The Mountaineers tied the game in the bottom of the frame, off the bat of senior Sean Smith, lifting the first pitch for a solo home run.

West Virginia seized the lead in the fourth when Hall worked a two-out walk before Guzman went opposite filed with a two-RBI double and a 5-4 advantage.

Janicki evened the game in the seventh with a two-out solo shot for his 20th home run of the season.

West Virginia jumped back out front in the eighth when Ineich and Kresser opened the inning with back-to-back singles. Lumsden, again, moved the runners with a sacrifice bunt before Hall collected his third and fourth RBI of the afternoon with a high chopper over first base for a two RBI single and a 7-5 Mountaineers' lead.

Korn registered the first two outs of the ninth before issuing a walk to Cavill. Sabins turned Bridgeport (WV) native, Ben McDougal. The senior recorded the final out with a pop fly in foul territory, hauled in by Kresser for his first save of the season as the Mountaineers held on for a 7-5 decision.

Korn registered his sixth win of the season in 6.1 innings of relief.

West Virginia awaits the winner of North Carolina and Ole Miss. The first pitch is set for Sunday at 7:00 p.m. EST and the action will be televised on ESPN.

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