:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49699835/usa-today-8826364.0.jpg)
The Mountaineers were able to overcome an injury to starting pitcher Michael Groves behind the brilliance of pitcher Ross Vance. After giving up a leadoff double, Groves fielded a sacrifice bunt attempt and awkwardly twisted his knee as he landed on first base. The injury would require Ross Vance to come on in relief after only one out. Vance struck out the first batter he faced before getting the next batter to ground out.
WVU would leave the bases loaded at the end of the second but drew first blood in the bottom of the third inning. Cole Austin singled to score Jackson Cramer and stake West Virginia to a 1-0 lead.
.@WVUBaseball cracks the scorebard with a single through the left side! WVU up 1-0 heading to the 4th! #Big12BSB https://t.co/IiBT0TJOox
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) May 25, 2016
Oklahoma threatened in the top of the fourth inning when DH Cody Thomas drove a ball into the left field corner. Sheldon Neuse tried to stretch the play to home when Kyle Gray fielded the ball and fired a strike to shortstop Jimmy Galuski. Galuski relayed the ball home to beat the speedy Neuse for the second out of the inning.
.@WVUBaseball protects their 1-0 lead with an incredible relay from left field! #Big12BSB on FCS https://t.co/Yl7yLPxIzE
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) May 25, 2016
West Virginia would blow the game open in the bottom half of the fourth inning when DH Kyle Davis stepped to the plate with two runners on. Kyle drove a 2-2 fastball to deep centerfield for a 430-foot homerun to give the Mountaineers a 4-0 lead. WVU would add an insurance run to give themselves a 4-run fourth inning and a 5-0 lead.
.@WVUBaseball protects their 1-0 lead with an incredible relay from left field! #Big12BSB on FCS https://t.co/Yl7yLPxIzE
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) May 25, 2016
The Mountaineers would knock out Oklahoma starting pitcher Jake Irvin in the fourth inning and proceed to add an additional run in the fifth inning. With a 6-0 lead, Ross Vance was just brilliant. Vance retired the first nine batters he faced before walking Neuse. After the Cody Thomas double, Oklahoma only had one other player reach base, a sixth inning one-out walk to centerfielder Ben Hollas. Vance would retire the last 11 batters of the game.
Full game box score can be found here. The Mountaineers will face the winner of Texas Tech - Kansas State tomorrow at 5 PM Eastern / 4 PM Central.