Second Straight Shutout Gives WVU Series Win
CHARLESTON, S.C. (February 20, 2016) – The West Virginia University baseball team won its season-opening series at Charleston Southern thanks to a second consecutive shutout in a 3-0 win on Sunday morning in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Mountaineers (2-1) won the opening series of the season behind eight shutout innings from sophomore right-hander BJ Myers. The Buccaneers (1-2) were held scoreless in the final 19 innings of the three-game series at Joe Riley Park.
“BJ was unbelievable,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “The last two games, we threw two shutouts and only walked two guys on the weekend and had 21 strikeouts. We really pitched well, and that was the difference.”
In a pitcher’s duel that lasted just two hours and 16 minutes, freshman Kyle Gray knocked in the game’s winning run in the fifth inning with his first career hit and RBI.
In his season debut, Myers made sure Gray’s RBI was all that WVU would need. Myers pitched eight innings and allowed no runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked just one. Behind him, the defense turned three double plays as Myers faced 26 batters, just two over the minimum in his eight innings. With runners on base, Charleston Southern was 0-6.
Senior righty Blake Smith worked a perfect ninth to earn his first save of the season.
Sunday’s performance on the mound capped a strong weekend for the WVU pitching staff. In the three-game series, WVU pitched two shutouts, held CSU scoreless in the final 19 innings and allowed just two earned runs all weekend.
The Mountaineers scored the game’s winning run in the fifth inning. Junior catcher Ray Guerrini led off with a single and senior centerfielder KC Huth bunted him to second. Guerrini scored on Gray’s single up the middle.
WVU added on two key insurance runs in the ninth inning, both with two outs. Guerrini again led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and when to third on a groundout. Freshman shortstop Jimmy Galusky then hit a double to the wall in left-center to score Guerrini. Sophomore third-baseman Kyle Davis followed with a double of his own, which scored Galusky.
The two insurance runs gave West Virginia a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning. That was more than Smith needed, as he shut down CSU in order to earn the save.
Myers’ toughest inning came in the first, when he allowed two hits, including a leadoff single. After the leadoff hit, first baseman Jackson Cramer snared a line drive and caught the Charleston Southern baserunner off the bag to turn the unassisted double play. With two outs, Myers gave up another single and a balk sent the runner to second, but a strikeout ended the frame.
The only other inning where Myers face more than three batters was the fifth, when the Buccaneers notched a leadoff single but the runner was left stranded at second.
The Mountaineers return to the road for an 11-day roadtrip before the home opener on March 11. WVU first plays three games at UNLV on Feb. 26-28, before traveling to Scottsdale, Arizona, for an exhibition contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Feb. 29. The Mountaineers will then go to Hawaii for a four game series against the Rainbow Warriors, on March 3-6.
Notes: WVU improved to 11-5 all-time vs. Charleston Southern and 8-5 in Charleston, South Carolina … In the three-game series, WVU pitchers struck out 21 batters and allowed just two earned runs while holding CSU off the scoreboard in the final 19 innings … With a first-inning single, freshman Darius Hill recorded his first career collegiate hit … Junior Jackson Cramer’s first-inning walk extended his reached base streak to a team-best and career-long 23 games, dating back to last season … Junior Ray Guerrini’s fifth-inning single extended his hit streak to a team-high five games and he has reached base in 11 consecutive contests … Freshman Kyle Gray’s single in the fifth inning to score Guerrini was his first career hit and RBI … Sophomore Kyle Davis has reached base in 21 consecutive games thanks to an eighth-inning single … Freshman Jimmy Galusky’s RBI double in the ninth inning was his first career RBI … Sophomore BJ Myers pitched eight shutout innings, allowing five hits, five strikeouts and one walk … Senior Blake Smith earned his first save of the season with one inning of no-hit work with two strikeouts.
Season and single game tickets for the 2016 WVU baseball season are on sale now. Fans can join the excitement of WVU baseball and contribute to the home field advantage at Monongalia County Ballpark by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, purchasing tickets at WVUGAME.com or visiting the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum. More information on season tickets and the 30-game home schedule can be found atWVUsports.com, while single game ticket information is available here.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (February 20, 2016) – The West Virginia University baseball team won its season-opening series at Charleston Southern thanks to a second consecutive shutout in a 3-0 win on Sunday morning in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Mountaineers (2-1) won the opening series of the season behind eight shutout innings from sophomore right-hander BJ Myers. The Buccaneers (1-2) were held scoreless in the final 19 innings of the three-game series at Joe Riley Park.
“BJ was unbelievable,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “The last two games, we threw two shutouts and only walked two guys on the weekend and had 21 strikeouts. We really pitched well, and that was the difference.”
In a pitcher’s duel that lasted just two hours and 16 minutes, freshman Kyle Gray knocked in the game’s winning run in the fifth inning with his first career hit and RBI.
In his season debut, Myers made sure Gray’s RBI was all that WVU would need. Myers pitched eight innings and allowed no runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked just one. Behind him, the defense turned three double plays as Myers faced 26 batters, just two over the minimum in his eight innings. With runners on base, Charleston Southern was 0-6.
Senior righty Blake Smith worked a perfect ninth to earn his first save of the season.
Sunday’s performance on the mound capped a strong weekend for the WVU pitching staff. In the three-game series, WVU pitched two shutouts, held CSU scoreless in the final 19 innings and allowed just two earned runs all weekend.
The Mountaineers scored the game’s winning run in the fifth inning. Junior catcher Ray Guerrini led off with a single and senior centerfielder KC Huth bunted him to second. Guerrini scored on Gray’s single up the middle.
WVU added on two key insurance runs in the ninth inning, both with two outs. Guerrini again led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and when to third on a groundout. Freshman shortstop Jimmy Galusky then hit a double to the wall in left-center to score Guerrini. Sophomore third-baseman Kyle Davis followed with a double of his own, which scored Galusky.
The two insurance runs gave West Virginia a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning. That was more than Smith needed, as he shut down CSU in order to earn the save.
Myers’ toughest inning came in the first, when he allowed two hits, including a leadoff single. After the leadoff hit, first baseman Jackson Cramer snared a line drive and caught the Charleston Southern baserunner off the bag to turn the unassisted double play. With two outs, Myers gave up another single and a balk sent the runner to second, but a strikeout ended the frame.
The only other inning where Myers face more than three batters was the fifth, when the Buccaneers notched a leadoff single but the runner was left stranded at second.
The Mountaineers return to the road for an 11-day roadtrip before the home opener on March 11. WVU first plays three games at UNLV on Feb. 26-28, before traveling to Scottsdale, Arizona, for an exhibition contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Feb. 29. The Mountaineers will then go to Hawaii for a four game series against the Rainbow Warriors, on March 3-6.
Notes: WVU improved to 11-5 all-time vs. Charleston Southern and 8-5 in Charleston, South Carolina … In the three-game series, WVU pitchers struck out 21 batters and allowed just two earned runs while holding CSU off the scoreboard in the final 19 innings … With a first-inning single, freshman Darius Hill recorded his first career collegiate hit … Junior Jackson Cramer’s first-inning walk extended his reached base streak to a team-best and career-long 23 games, dating back to last season … Junior Ray Guerrini’s fifth-inning single extended his hit streak to a team-high five games and he has reached base in 11 consecutive contests … Freshman Kyle Gray’s single in the fifth inning to score Guerrini was his first career hit and RBI … Sophomore Kyle Davis has reached base in 21 consecutive games thanks to an eighth-inning single … Freshman Jimmy Galusky’s RBI double in the ninth inning was his first career RBI … Sophomore BJ Myers pitched eight shutout innings, allowing five hits, five strikeouts and one walk … Senior Blake Smith earned his first save of the season with one inning of no-hit work with two strikeouts.
Season and single game tickets for the 2016 WVU baseball season are on sale now. Fans can join the excitement of WVU baseball and contribute to the home field advantage at Monongalia County Ballpark by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, purchasing tickets at WVUGAME.com or visiting the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum. More information on season tickets and the 30-game home schedule can be found atWVUsports.com, while single game ticket information is available here.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
