Munden’s Homer Caps Comeback as Baseball Wins
GRANVILLE, W.Va. (April 26, 2015) – A two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh by senior shortstop Taylor Munden led the West Virginia University baseball team to a 5-4 victory over Kansas on Sunday in front of 1,503 fans at Monongalia County Ballpark.
Trailing 4-3 entering the seventh inning, junior center fielder KC Huth reached base with a one-out single to center field. After being sacrificed to second base, Munden came to the plate with two outs and launched his Big 12- and team-leading 10th home run of the season over the left field wall to put WVU ahead 5-4.
“Just good old-fashioned elbow grease, grinding it out hard work,” coach Randy Mazey said of Munden’s progress. “That kid has turned into a really quality Big 12 player. If you recruit good athletes with a tremendous work ethic, they’ll always find a way to figure it out and my hat’s off to that kid for what he’s done.”
With the win the Mountaineers (24-17, 6-9 Big 12) avoided the series sweep, finishing with five runs on nine hits. The Jayhawks (19-25, 6-9 Big 12) had four runs on nine hits. Neither team committed an error.
“We lost the first two games of the series and they throw a four spot up in the second and you’re thinking come on Mountaineers, don’t give up,” Mazey said. “We talked about it after yesterday’s game and before today’s game that sometimes in baseball things don’t go your way and you get tested. It happens in life too, so now is a great time to practice how to respond to adversity.”
Munden and Huth each had two hits to lead the West Virginia offensive attack, while Munden also had a game-high three RBIs.
After a rough start, sophomore right-hander Chad Donato (6-4) settled down nicely and pitched into the eighth inning. Donato finished his afternoon allowing four runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 7.2 innings.
“Chad is really good. Just like any starting pitcher, we tell our guys that when you’re facing a good starting pitcher, the time to get him is early before he settles in,” Mazey said. “That’s the case with most starting pitchers. He went out there and wasn’t sharp with his fastball command the first couple of innings and they hit him. He settled in with his breaking ball and kept them off balance and did really good job after that.”
Junior right-hander Blake Smith picked up the four-out save, his sixth of the season. Smith stranded two runners in the top of the ninth and gave up one hit with two strikeouts and one walk.
Kansas loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the second and scored four runs on five hits to take a 4-0 lead. Back-to-back walks to Ryan Pidhaichuk and Tommy Mirabelli scored the first two runs, while Justin Protacio and Connor McKay followed with a pair of RBI singles to center field.
West Virginia plated three runs to cut the deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the second, highlighted by a two-run home run to right center field by Shaun Wood. It was his seventh of the season and third in as many at bats. Munden then brought it to a one-run game with a two-out single up the middle to score freshman designated hitter Caleb Potter from second base.
Protacio finished 3-for-5 to lead Kansas at the plate, while reliever Blake Weiman (1-7) took the loss after giving up Munden’s home run.
West Virginia will now travel to Appalachian Power Park for a matchup with Marshall on Tuesday, April 28. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
The radio broadcast can be heard throughout the state on Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG affiliates with Jeff Culhane and Ernie Galusky on the call. Additionally, fans can listen to the broadcast via the WVU Gameday App on their mobile device, as well as the TuneIn Radio App and the leanStream player at WVUsports.com/audio.
GRANVILLE, W.Va. (April 26, 2015) – A two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh by senior shortstop Taylor Munden led the West Virginia University baseball team to a 5-4 victory over Kansas on Sunday in front of 1,503 fans at Monongalia County Ballpark.
Trailing 4-3 entering the seventh inning, junior center fielder KC Huth reached base with a one-out single to center field. After being sacrificed to second base, Munden came to the plate with two outs and launched his Big 12- and team-leading 10th home run of the season over the left field wall to put WVU ahead 5-4.
“Just good old-fashioned elbow grease, grinding it out hard work,” coach Randy Mazey said of Munden’s progress. “That kid has turned into a really quality Big 12 player. If you recruit good athletes with a tremendous work ethic, they’ll always find a way to figure it out and my hat’s off to that kid for what he’s done.”
With the win the Mountaineers (24-17, 6-9 Big 12) avoided the series sweep, finishing with five runs on nine hits. The Jayhawks (19-25, 6-9 Big 12) had four runs on nine hits. Neither team committed an error.
“We lost the first two games of the series and they throw a four spot up in the second and you’re thinking come on Mountaineers, don’t give up,” Mazey said. “We talked about it after yesterday’s game and before today’s game that sometimes in baseball things don’t go your way and you get tested. It happens in life too, so now is a great time to practice how to respond to adversity.”
Munden and Huth each had two hits to lead the West Virginia offensive attack, while Munden also had a game-high three RBIs.
After a rough start, sophomore right-hander Chad Donato (6-4) settled down nicely and pitched into the eighth inning. Donato finished his afternoon allowing four runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 7.2 innings.
“Chad is really good. Just like any starting pitcher, we tell our guys that when you’re facing a good starting pitcher, the time to get him is early before he settles in,” Mazey said. “That’s the case with most starting pitchers. He went out there and wasn’t sharp with his fastball command the first couple of innings and they hit him. He settled in with his breaking ball and kept them off balance and did really good job after that.”
Junior right-hander Blake Smith picked up the four-out save, his sixth of the season. Smith stranded two runners in the top of the ninth and gave up one hit with two strikeouts and one walk.
Kansas loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the second and scored four runs on five hits to take a 4-0 lead. Back-to-back walks to Ryan Pidhaichuk and Tommy Mirabelli scored the first two runs, while Justin Protacio and Connor McKay followed with a pair of RBI singles to center field.
West Virginia plated three runs to cut the deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the second, highlighted by a two-run home run to right center field by Shaun Wood. It was his seventh of the season and third in as many at bats. Munden then brought it to a one-run game with a two-out single up the middle to score freshman designated hitter Caleb Potter from second base.
Protacio finished 3-for-5 to lead Kansas at the plate, while reliever Blake Weiman (1-7) took the loss after giving up Munden’s home run.
West Virginia will now travel to Appalachian Power Park for a matchup with Marshall on Tuesday, April 28. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
The radio broadcast can be heard throughout the state on Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG affiliates with Jeff Culhane and Ernie Galusky on the call. Additionally, fans can listen to the broadcast via the WVU Gameday App on their mobile device, as well as the TuneIn Radio App and the leanStream player at WVUsports.com/audio.
