DELAND, Fla. (Feb. 19, 2024) – The West Virginia University baseball team earned a split in a doubleheader against Stetson on Monday, falling in game one, 5-4, before responding in game two with a 7-5 victory. Both the Mountaineers and Hatters now sit at 2-2 on the season.
Junior Grant Hussey and sophomore Logan Sauve each hit home runs on the day. Sophomore Ellis Garcia had three hits in game one and followed that up with a three-RBI performance in game two.
In game one, the Hatters scored two runs in the first and one in the second to take an early lead.
Hussey got the Mountaineers on the board with his first home run of the season, a solo shot to right-center.
West Virginia took the lead in the sixth inning with three runs. Junior JJ Wetherholt scored the first run as the Hatters threw the ball away on an attempted rundown before Garcia tied the game with an RBI single. Garcia and sophomore Sam White then executed a first-and-third double steal to put the Mountaineers on top.
The lead was short lived as Stetson tied up the game in the bottom of the inning.
The game remained tied until the ninth when Stetson walked it off for the second straight game on a hit off the wall from Jayden Hilton.
In game two, the Mountaineers took an early 2-0 lead in the first on an RBI single from sophomore Benjamin Lumsden and a sacrifice fly from Garcia.
The Hatters hit a two-run home run in the second inning to even up the game, but Sauve answered on the first pitch of the third with his first home run of the season to put West Virginia back on top.
In the fourth, junior Brodie Kresser extended the Mountaineer lead with an RBI single before White made it a three-run game in the seventh with a sacrifice fly.
Freshman Joseph Fredericks three 3.0 scoreless innings to keep WVU on top but allowed the first two batters to reach in the eighth. Sophomore Gavin Van Kempen came on in relief to try to get out of the jam, but the Hatters were able to piece together a rally to even up the game.
In the ninth, the Mountaineers had runners on second and third with one out for Garcia, who laid down a squeeze bunt. Freshman Armani Guzman easily came into score to give WVU the lead while Lumsden raced around third to score a second run and provide insurance.
Van Kempen came back out in the ninth and shut the door, getting two strikeouts to end the game.
The Mountaineers will be back in action this weekend for a series at Charlotte beginning on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. All three games of the series will air on ESPN+.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Junior Grant Hussey and sophomore Logan Sauve each hit home runs on the day. Sophomore Ellis Garcia had three hits in game one and followed that up with a three-RBI performance in game two.
In game one, the Hatters scored two runs in the first and one in the second to take an early lead.
Hussey got the Mountaineers on the board with his first home run of the season, a solo shot to right-center.
West Virginia took the lead in the sixth inning with three runs. Junior JJ Wetherholt scored the first run as the Hatters threw the ball away on an attempted rundown before Garcia tied the game with an RBI single. Garcia and sophomore Sam White then executed a first-and-third double steal to put the Mountaineers on top.
The lead was short lived as Stetson tied up the game in the bottom of the inning.
The game remained tied until the ninth when Stetson walked it off for the second straight game on a hit off the wall from Jayden Hilton.
In game two, the Mountaineers took an early 2-0 lead in the first on an RBI single from sophomore Benjamin Lumsden and a sacrifice fly from Garcia.
The Hatters hit a two-run home run in the second inning to even up the game, but Sauve answered on the first pitch of the third with his first home run of the season to put West Virginia back on top.
In the fourth, junior Brodie Kresser extended the Mountaineer lead with an RBI single before White made it a three-run game in the seventh with a sacrifice fly.
Freshman Joseph Fredericks three 3.0 scoreless innings to keep WVU on top but allowed the first two batters to reach in the eighth. Sophomore Gavin Van Kempen came on in relief to try to get out of the jam, but the Hatters were able to piece together a rally to even up the game.
In the ninth, the Mountaineers had runners on second and third with one out for Garcia, who laid down a squeeze bunt. Freshman Armani Guzman easily came into score to give WVU the lead while Lumsden raced around third to score a second run and provide insurance.
Van Kempen came back out in the ninth and shut the door, getting two strikeouts to end the game.
The Mountaineers will be back in action this weekend for a series at Charlotte beginning on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. All three games of the series will air on ESPN+.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
