MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (March 29, 2024) – The West Virginia University baseball team dropped a tough 2-1 decision to Oklahoma State, Friday night at Kendrick Family Ballpark. The Mountaineers fall to 15-11 while the Cowboys improve to 17-9. Both teams are now 4-3 in the Big 12.
Junior pitcher Aidan Major struck out a career-high 13 batters while walking just one in 8.0 innings and gave up two runs. On most nights, that is good enough for a victory, but Cowboy pitcher Sam Garcia was a little better as he gave up just one run in 7.0 innings while striking out 11.
Sophomore Maxx Yehl pitched a scoreless ninth with a strikeout while three OSU pitchers combined to hold its lead, highlighted by 1.2 innings from Carson Benge, who went to the mound after starting in right field, for his second save of the year.
Oklahoma State took an early lead on a solo home run before tacking on another run in the sixth.
Junior Grant Hussey provided the offense for West Virginia as he hit a solo home run in the seventh, his team-leading sixth of the season.
The Mountaineers had a chance in to tie or take the lead in the eighth by getting runners on second and third with two outs. After bouncing his previous three sliders, Benge went back to his slider on a 3-2 count to senior Reed Chumley, this time pinpointing it on the inside corner to escape the threat.
West Virginia will look to even the series on Saturday with first pitch set for 4 p.m.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Junior pitcher Aidan Major struck out a career-high 13 batters while walking just one in 8.0 innings and gave up two runs. On most nights, that is good enough for a victory, but Cowboy pitcher Sam Garcia was a little better as he gave up just one run in 7.0 innings while striking out 11.
Sophomore Maxx Yehl pitched a scoreless ninth with a strikeout while three OSU pitchers combined to hold its lead, highlighted by 1.2 innings from Carson Benge, who went to the mound after starting in right field, for his second save of the year.
Oklahoma State took an early lead on a solo home run before tacking on another run in the sixth.
Junior Grant Hussey provided the offense for West Virginia as he hit a solo home run in the seventh, his team-leading sixth of the season.
The Mountaineers had a chance in to tie or take the lead in the eighth by getting runners on second and third with two outs. After bouncing his previous three sliders, Benge went back to his slider on a 3-2 count to senior Reed Chumley, this time pinpointing it on the inside corner to escape the threat.
West Virginia will look to even the series on Saturday with first pitch set for 4 p.m.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
