West Virginia Takes Season-Opener in Jacksonville

Mountaineer head coach Steve Sabins collects his first win at the helm

West Virginia catcher Logan Sauve / Christopher Hall - West Virgnia on SI

Jacksonville, FL – The West Virginia Mountaineers (1-0) opened the season with a 4-2 win over the Jacksonville Dolphins (0-1) Friday night to begin the Steve Sabins era.

West Virginia jumped on top 2-0 in the first inning. West Virginia junior, and leadoff hitter, Logan Sauve ripped a single through the left side on the first pitch of the game, then junior Sam White singled back up the middle to place runners at the corners.

A wild pitch to Kyle West advanced White to second before the senior hit slow chopper to first base to score Sauve for the RBI and sophomore Michael Perazza hit a line drive to right field for the RBI sacrifice fly for the two-run advantage.

Brodie Kresser delivered a one-out single in the second inning. The senior got into scoring position with a stolen base, then sophomore Armani Guzman hit a high fly ball to left field that dropped along the line for the RBI single. Logan Sauve followed with and RBI single as the Mountaineers held a 4-0 lead through two innings.

West Virginia starting pitcher Griffin Kirn threw four hitless innings before the Quincy University senior transfer gave up his second walk of the game to begin the fifth and junior Chandler Howard followed with a single through the right side to give Jacksonville runners at the corners. Junior Nick DeLisi put the Dolphins on the board with a sacrifice fly to right field to cut the WVU lead to three, 4-1 in the fifth inning.

Griffin Kirn went 5.2 innings with five strikeouts in his Mountaineer debut. Sophomore reliever Chase Meyer entered the game to finish the sixth.

Jacksonville threatened in the seventh when senior Josh Steidl hit a hard hit leadoff single junior first baseman Grant Hussey could not corral and senior Aidan Masters followed with a double over the head of right-fielder Armani Guzman to put runners at first and second with no outs.

Chase Meyer struck out two before walking the bases loaded. Then, West Virginia head coach Steve Sabins called in Bryant Yoak. The freshman got out of the jam with a strikeout to maintain the three-run WVU lead.

Kent State transfer Jack Kartsonas took the mound in the eighth.

In the bottom of the ninth, Josh Steidl hit a leadoff home run. Junior Chandler Howard dropped a one-out single along the left field line, ending Kartsonas evening. The senior finish with three strikeouts.

Senior right-handed reliever Reese Bassinger was called upon with one-out and one on and delivered, ending the game with a 6-4-3 double play as the Mountaineers hold on for the 4-2 win.

West Virginia and Jacksonville will meet for the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. EST. Game two will begin at approximately 40 minutes following the first game.

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