Cramer and Davis Lead Baseball to Series Win[/B]
GRANVILLE, W.Va. (April 11, 2015) - [/B]The West Virginia University baseball team took the season series with an 8-0 victory over Butler in front of 2,211 fans on Saturday afternoon at Monongalia County Ballpark.
The West Virginia (20-12) offense scored eight runs, pounding out 12 hits with one error. Butler (13-20) had six hits with two errors.
Freshman second baseman Kyle Davis and sophomore designated hitter Jackson Cramer had three hits, three RBIs and one home run apiece. Davis added two doubles and Cramer had one double.
"He's maturing as a hitter," coach Randy Mazey said of Davis. "He went up there his last couple of times and sat on particular pitches in the first pitch of the count, and that's what good hitters do. He hit a fastball his first time up for a homer and then the next time he sat on a changeup first pitch and was able to hit a double. That's all part of being a good hitter."
"We try to convince Jackson that the reason he hits in the middle of the lineup is to do what he did today, hit homers and doubles," Mazey said. "Sometimes he gets caught up in trying to hit like a little guy and we don't want him to hit like a little guy. We'll live with some of his strikeouts if he hits some over the fence."
Junior left-hander Ross Vance (5-2) threw eight shutout innings for his third-straight victory. Vance allowed just four hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
"Vance was pretty good," Mazey said. "If we get a lot of ground balls when he is pitching then his stuff is working pretty well and he managed to do that."
West Virginia scored three runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. Davis led off with a first-pitch leadoff home run over the left field fence, his third of the season. Junior center fielder KC Huth drove in his third run of the series with a two-out single up the middle, scoring Cramer. Huth then got in a rundown with two outs and took enough time to allow freshman first baseman Shaun Corso to score from third base.
Cramer blasted his second home run in as many days in the bottom of the sixth, putting WVU ahead 5-0. The two-run homer went over the right center field fence and was measured at 414 feet.
The Mountaineers blew the game open in the bottom of the seventh with three insurance runs to extend the lead to 8-0. With runners on the corners, Davis doubled to right center field to score both runners, and Cramer followed with a double to left center field to plate Davis.
The loss was issued to Butler's Peter Nyznyk (1-2), who gave up five runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.
West Virginia will go for the sweep against Butler on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Mountaineers will send sophomore right-hander Chad Donato (4-3) to the mound and he will face Butler left-hander Nick Morton (2-3).
The game will feature a free video stream, courtesy of Coca-Cola, and can be heard throughout the state on affiliates of the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG with Jeff Culhane on the call.
Additionally, fans can listen to the broadcast via the WVU Gameday App on their mobile device, as well as the WVUsports.com/audio.
GRANVILLE, W.Va. (April 11, 2015) - [/B]The West Virginia University baseball team took the season series with an 8-0 victory over Butler in front of 2,211 fans on Saturday afternoon at Monongalia County Ballpark.
The West Virginia (20-12) offense scored eight runs, pounding out 12 hits with one error. Butler (13-20) had six hits with two errors.
Freshman second baseman Kyle Davis and sophomore designated hitter Jackson Cramer had three hits, three RBIs and one home run apiece. Davis added two doubles and Cramer had one double.
"He's maturing as a hitter," coach Randy Mazey said of Davis. "He went up there his last couple of times and sat on particular pitches in the first pitch of the count, and that's what good hitters do. He hit a fastball his first time up for a homer and then the next time he sat on a changeup first pitch and was able to hit a double. That's all part of being a good hitter."
"We try to convince Jackson that the reason he hits in the middle of the lineup is to do what he did today, hit homers and doubles," Mazey said. "Sometimes he gets caught up in trying to hit like a little guy and we don't want him to hit like a little guy. We'll live with some of his strikeouts if he hits some over the fence."
Junior left-hander Ross Vance (5-2) threw eight shutout innings for his third-straight victory. Vance allowed just four hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
"Vance was pretty good," Mazey said. "If we get a lot of ground balls when he is pitching then his stuff is working pretty well and he managed to do that."
West Virginia scored three runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. Davis led off with a first-pitch leadoff home run over the left field fence, his third of the season. Junior center fielder KC Huth drove in his third run of the series with a two-out single up the middle, scoring Cramer. Huth then got in a rundown with two outs and took enough time to allow freshman first baseman Shaun Corso to score from third base.
Cramer blasted his second home run in as many days in the bottom of the sixth, putting WVU ahead 5-0. The two-run homer went over the right center field fence and was measured at 414 feet.
The Mountaineers blew the game open in the bottom of the seventh with three insurance runs to extend the lead to 8-0. With runners on the corners, Davis doubled to right center field to score both runners, and Cramer followed with a double to left center field to plate Davis.
The loss was issued to Butler's Peter Nyznyk (1-2), who gave up five runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.
West Virginia will go for the sweep against Butler on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Mountaineers will send sophomore right-hander Chad Donato (4-3) to the mound and he will face Butler left-hander Nick Morton (2-3).
The game will feature a free video stream, courtesy of Coca-Cola, and can be heard throughout the state on affiliates of the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG with Jeff Culhane on the call.
Additionally, fans can listen to the broadcast via the WVU Gameday App on their mobile device, as well as the WVUsports.com/audio.
