West Virginia Rolls in Series Opener vs. Baylor

The Mountaineers produce 18 runs and cruise in game one versus the Bears

Granville, WV – The West Virginia Mountaineers (24-16, 12-7) crushed the Baylor Bears (19-21, 9-10) in the series opener Friday night 18-5.

West Virginia senior Reed Chumley led the Mountaineers with five RBIs, including a three-RBI triple in the seventh inning, and junior JJ Wetherholt collected four RBI’s, highlighted by a three-run home run in the third and junior Kyle West caught up to the team’s home run leader, Reed Chumley, with his 10th home run of the season.

Baylor took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Redshirt junior Enzo Apodaca hammered the 3-2 pitch over the West Virginia bullpen and off the facilities building for a leadoff home run. Then, with one out and a runner standing on second, senior Daniel Altman hit an RBI single back up the middle for the two-run advantage.

West Virginia responded in the bottom of the frame with junior JJ Wetherholt and sophomore Logan Sauve leading off the inning with singles to set up an RBI single from sophomore Sam White for the Mountaineers’ first run of the game. Senior Reed Chumley flared a two-run RBI to shallow right centerfield and junior Grant Hussey capped a four-run first inning with a sacrifice RBI fly to left field for a 4-2 WVU lead.

The Mountaineers continued their onslaught in the third. After Baylor junior starting Mason Marriott gave sophomore Benjamin Lumsden a four-pitch and beaned sophomore Skylar King before Wetherholt drilled a 412 feet three-run home run. Then, following a single from Sauve and with two outs on the board, Kyle West ripped an RBI single back up the middle and Hussey tripled into right centerfield and scored on an errant throw for a 10-2 advantage.

The Bears put up two runs in the third off a two RBI single from sophomore Zach Mazoch to cut the deficit to six, 10-4.

West Virginia added two runs in the bottom of the frame on sacrifice RBI flies from Wetherholt and Sauve a 12-4 lead.

West Virginia junior Kyle West smacked a solo run in the fourth to extend the Mountaineer lead 13-4.

Mountaineers’ senior starting pitcher Hayden Cooper went 2.2 innings and allowed four runs before junior Tyler Switalski took the mound and collected the win after 4.1 innings and six strikeouts.

West Virginia’s offense continued in the seventh with five runs. Sauve recorded his second RBI of the night on a ground ball to second that senior Daniel Altman could not corral and sophomore Skylar King ripped an RBI single back up the middle and Chumley slapped an three-RBI triple down the right field line to finish the five-run seventh inning and extend the lead as the Mountaineers cruised to an 18-5 victory.

The Mountaineers will look to clinch the series Saturday in game two. The first pitch is set for 4:05 p.m. EST and the action will stream on ESPN+.