WVU Comes Back, Beats Marshall in Extras
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (April 5, 2016) – The West Virginia University baseball team came back to score three runs in the eighth inning and one in the 10th to beat in-state rival Marshall on Tuesday night in Charleston, W.Va.
On a chilly night at Appalachian Power Park, the Mountaineers (15-11) were no-hit for 5.2 innings before scoring one run in the sixth and three in the eighth to erase a 3-1 deficit. It was WVU’s third consecutive one-run contest against the Thundering Herd (15-12). West Virginia improved to 3-2 in extra-inning games, including 2-1 in the past week.
“This is a great win for us,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “This is the first time we’ve beaten Marshall down here since I’ve been here. They play with so much confidence against us, trying to knock us off. It’s a big game for both teams. They’re just really hard to beat for us in this park. That’s a great win for three guys, Shaun Wood, Braden Zarbnisky and Ivan Vera, who weren’t in the starting lineup and had a major hand in the outcome, it says a lot about your bench, which is a good feeling for a coach.”
Zarbnisky, who pinch-hit in the sixth, and Vera, who entered the game in the eighth, contributed to the game-winning run in the 10th inning. Wood, a pinch-hitter in the eighth, drove in two runs in a three-run eighth inning to tie the game at 3-3.
West Virginia took advantage of an error, the eighth of the game, to score the eventual winning run in the 10th inning. Zarbnisky singled through the left side and with two outs, Vera singled to left field.
Fielding Vera’s single, Marshall’s left fielder bobbled the ball, allowing Zarbnisky to round third and score on the play. It was the sixth unearned run of the ballgame.
WVU scored five runs on five hits, while Marshall scored four runs on 13 hits. Both teams had four errors, which resulted in all four of Marshall’s runs being unearned, while two of WVU’s runs were unearned.
Senior righty Blake Smith earned the victory with 2.1 innings in relief. Smith allowed four hits with two strikeouts to improve to 2-0 on the year.
For the first five innings, the two starting pitchers were locked in a pitcher’s duel. WVU freshman right-hander Michael Grove pitched 5.0 innings, allowing just one unearned run on five hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
Marshall’s Joshua Shapiro was just as good. In 5.2 innings, he no-hit the Mountaineers. He gave up a run, which came after he exited the game in the sixth. Shapiro struck out nine and walked six.
Both teams had runners reach off of Grove and Shapiro, as the Mountaineers drew six walks and the Thundering Herd recorded five hits. Each inning though, the runners were stranded or picked off. Grove and the WVU defense picked off two MU baserunners.
The Mountaineers got on the board in the sixth inning. Freshman right fielder Darius Hill led off the inning with a walk, his third of the day, and proceeded to steal second base. With two outs and a new Marshall pitcher on the mound, WVU finally recorded its first hit of the day.
Junior catcher Ray Guerrini drilled a ball to the centerfield fence for a triple. The hit easily scored Hill from second to tie the game at 1-1.
Marshall answered right back though with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 3-1 lead. Three straight singles loaded the bases with no outs before Guerrini’s attempt to pick off the runner at third bounced into left field, allowing two runs to score.
WVU took its first lead of the day with a three-run eighth inning. Senior center fielder KC Huth led off the inning with a double. After junior first baseman Jackson Cramer walked, Wood hit a two-out, pinch-hit double down the right field line to score both Huth and Cramer.
The Mountaineers went ahead 4-3 when freshman pinch-hitter Kyle Gray reached on an error, Marshall’s third of the game. The error allowed Wood to score.
The Thundering Herd tied the game at 4-4 with an unearned run in the bottom of the inning. The leadoff batter reached on an error and scored with two outs on a single to center.
Marshall had a chance to win it in the ninth inning, with runners on the corners and one out, but freshman shortstop Jimmy Galusky made a diving catch for the second out and cleanly fielded a grounder for the final out of the inning.
The Thundering Herd’s first run was unearned in the first inning. A leadoff single was followed by a throwing error on a stolen base attempt. After a sacrifice bunt, the Marshall baserunner scored from third on a wild pitch.
WVU returns home tomorrow for a matchup with Eastern Michigan. First pitch at Monongalia County Ballpark will be at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 6.
NOTES: WVU improved to 15-11 on the season and 3-2 in extra innings … Junior Jackson Cramer walked in the second inning to reach base for the 46th consecutive game, the longest streak in the Big 12 … Making his first career start, freshman Michael Grove pitched 5.0 innings and allowed one unearned run on five hits with two strikeouts and a walk … Senior Blake Smith earned his second win of the season with 2.1 scoreless innings in relief … WVU gave up four runs, but every run was unearned … While he is not credited with an RBI, freshman Ivan Vera drove in his first career game-winning run when he singled and the runner scored on an error.
Single game and flex plan 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, W.Va. (April 5, 2016) – The West Virginia University baseball team came back to score three runs in the eighth inning and one in the 10th to beat in-state rival Marshall on Tuesday night in Charleston, W.Va.
On a chilly night at Appalachian Power Park, the Mountaineers (15-11) were no-hit for 5.2 innings before scoring one run in the sixth and three in the eighth to erase a 3-1 deficit. It was WVU’s third consecutive one-run contest against the Thundering Herd (15-12). West Virginia improved to 3-2 in extra-inning games, including 2-1 in the past week.
“This is a great win for us,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “This is the first time we’ve beaten Marshall down here since I’ve been here. They play with so much confidence against us, trying to knock us off. It’s a big game for both teams. They’re just really hard to beat for us in this park. That’s a great win for three guys, Shaun Wood, Braden Zarbnisky and Ivan Vera, who weren’t in the starting lineup and had a major hand in the outcome, it says a lot about your bench, which is a good feeling for a coach.”
Zarbnisky, who pinch-hit in the sixth, and Vera, who entered the game in the eighth, contributed to the game-winning run in the 10th inning. Wood, a pinch-hitter in the eighth, drove in two runs in a three-run eighth inning to tie the game at 3-3.
West Virginia took advantage of an error, the eighth of the game, to score the eventual winning run in the 10th inning. Zarbnisky singled through the left side and with two outs, Vera singled to left field.
Fielding Vera’s single, Marshall’s left fielder bobbled the ball, allowing Zarbnisky to round third and score on the play. It was the sixth unearned run of the ballgame.
WVU scored five runs on five hits, while Marshall scored four runs on 13 hits. Both teams had four errors, which resulted in all four of Marshall’s runs being unearned, while two of WVU’s runs were unearned.
Senior righty Blake Smith earned the victory with 2.1 innings in relief. Smith allowed four hits with two strikeouts to improve to 2-0 on the year.
For the first five innings, the two starting pitchers were locked in a pitcher’s duel. WVU freshman right-hander Michael Grove pitched 5.0 innings, allowing just one unearned run on five hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
Marshall’s Joshua Shapiro was just as good. In 5.2 innings, he no-hit the Mountaineers. He gave up a run, which came after he exited the game in the sixth. Shapiro struck out nine and walked six.
Both teams had runners reach off of Grove and Shapiro, as the Mountaineers drew six walks and the Thundering Herd recorded five hits. Each inning though, the runners were stranded or picked off. Grove and the WVU defense picked off two MU baserunners.
The Mountaineers got on the board in the sixth inning. Freshman right fielder Darius Hill led off the inning with a walk, his third of the day, and proceeded to steal second base. With two outs and a new Marshall pitcher on the mound, WVU finally recorded its first hit of the day.
Junior catcher Ray Guerrini drilled a ball to the centerfield fence for a triple. The hit easily scored Hill from second to tie the game at 1-1.
Marshall answered right back though with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 3-1 lead. Three straight singles loaded the bases with no outs before Guerrini’s attempt to pick off the runner at third bounced into left field, allowing two runs to score.
WVU took its first lead of the day with a three-run eighth inning. Senior center fielder KC Huth led off the inning with a double. After junior first baseman Jackson Cramer walked, Wood hit a two-out, pinch-hit double down the right field line to score both Huth and Cramer.
The Mountaineers went ahead 4-3 when freshman pinch-hitter Kyle Gray reached on an error, Marshall’s third of the game. The error allowed Wood to score.
The Thundering Herd tied the game at 4-4 with an unearned run in the bottom of the inning. The leadoff batter reached on an error and scored with two outs on a single to center.
Marshall had a chance to win it in the ninth inning, with runners on the corners and one out, but freshman shortstop Jimmy Galusky made a diving catch for the second out and cleanly fielded a grounder for the final out of the inning.
The Thundering Herd’s first run was unearned in the first inning. A leadoff single was followed by a throwing error on a stolen base attempt. After a sacrifice bunt, the Marshall baserunner scored from third on a wild pitch.
WVU returns home tomorrow for a matchup with Eastern Michigan. First pitch at Monongalia County Ballpark will be at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 6.
NOTES: WVU improved to 15-11 on the season and 3-2 in extra innings … Junior Jackson Cramer walked in the second inning to reach base for the 46th consecutive game, the longest streak in the Big 12 … Making his first career start, freshman Michael Grove pitched 5.0 innings and allowed one unearned run on five hits with two strikeouts and a walk … Senior Blake Smith earned his second win of the season with 2.1 scoreless innings in relief … WVU gave up four runs, but every run was unearned … While he is not credited with an RBI, freshman Ivan Vera drove in his first career game-winning run when he singled and the runner scored on an error.
Single game and flex plan 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.
