West Virginia Takes Game 3 and the Series Against Kennesaw State

Morgantown, WV – After suffering their first loss of the season on Saturday, the West Virginia Mountaineers (14-1) bounced back with an emphatic 14-6 decision for a game three series deciding win against Kennesaw State (6-11) Sunday afternoon.

Kennesaw State leadoff hitter Nate Anderson was gifted first after junior second baseman Sam White failed to scoop up the routine ground ball. The redshirt senior stole second before senior Chris Cole line the RBI single

West Virginia freshman starting pitcher David Hagan walked the bases loaded before sophomore Cooper Williams slapped a two-RBI single to left field for a three-run first inning.

The Mountaineers responded in the bottom of the frame. Senior Brodie Kresser received a leadoff walk, senior Logan Suave drove a double to left centerfield, then Sam White went opposite field with the wind to left field for a three-run home run. The junior finished day with two hits and three RBI.

Senior Jace Rinehart dropped a single down the right field line and moved to second on an errant throw, and advanced to third on a wild pitch before freshman Gavin Kelley smacked an RBI triple to the right field corner for a 4-3 WVU lead.

West Virginia added a run in the third when Kelley hit a one-out single to centerfield and junior Skylar King followed with a line drive up the middle and redshirt junior Chase Swain delivered the RBI sacrifice fly to shallow centerfield for a 5-3 advantage.

Kennesaw State pulled back within a run in the top of the fifth after freshman Wes Alig went opposite to right field for an RBI single.

In the bottom of the of the frame, senior Kyle West and Kelly received walks to lead off the inning. King moved the runners with a bunt down the third base line before junior Grant Hussey pulled a two-Rbi double down the right field line. Then, Kresser line an RBI single to centerfield and Sauve capped a four-run fifth inning with an RBI double to left centerfield for a 9-4 lead.

Wes Alig hit a solo home run in the seventh to inch a little closer to the Mountaineers.

West Virginia broke the game open in the eighth. With runners at the corners, Kelly took home on a double steal, Swain lined a single through the left side for an RBI single and then, with two outs and two on, Kresser drove the 2-1 pitch over the left field wall for a five-run eighth inning for a 14-5 lead. Kresser led the Mountaineers at the plate with three hits and four RBI.

Kennesaw State scored a pair of runs in the ninth but too little too late as the Mountaineers took game three 14-7.

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