WEEKEND RECAP: WVU Baseball Wins Sunday Finale For First Win of Season

FRIDAY: Despite rallying from an early 2-0 deficit, Randy Mazes’ squad was unable to defeat the Charlotte 49ers Friday night. Charlotte got on the board early with one run in the second inning and another in the fourth. In the fifth inning, junior left fielder Kyle Davis, who led the team in homeruns as a sophomore, belted his first of the season to tie the game at 2-2.

Braden Zarbinsky gave the Mountaineers the lead in the top half of the seventh inning with a double into left center that scored shortstop Jimmy Galesky. Charlotte responded with a 4-run outburst in the bottom half of the seventh inning. The 49ers got to starter BJ Myers with a double, single and fielder’s choice to tie the game. After Myers’ was replaced by senior RHP Jackson Sigman, Charlotte gained the lead with back-to-back two-out singles. Sophomore Jacob Potock replaced Sigman and gave up another two runs to make it 6-3.

SATURDAY: Saturday was not kind to the Mountaineers at all. The Mountaineers dropped their second consecutive game to Charlotte, 13-2. Charlotte got on the board early in the bottom half of the second inning before the Mountaineers’ tied the game at 1-1 in the top half of the third on sophomore Darius Hill’s double to score freshman Brandon White.

Sophomore right hander Michael Grove took the mound for the Mountaineers’ and surrendered four runs on six hits while striking out four. It was his first loss of the year.

Six 49ers’ had multiple hits in the game and three had homeruns: 1B Logan Sherer, RF T.J. Nichting, and 3B Jackson Mims. The 49ers scored 3 runs in the bottom of the fourth, 4 runs in the bottom of the sixth and 5 runs in the bottom of the seventh to put the game out of reach.

SUNDAY: The Mountaineers avoided a sweep on Sunday with a 6-3 win over the Charlotte 49ers. Every Mountaineer starter had a hit and sophomore starter Branden Dotson pitched six scoreless innings before allowing a run in the seventh to secure the first win of the season.

Freshman Brandon White led the Mountaineers’ with three hits, his first multi-hit game of his career including his first two RBI as a Mountaineer. Sophomore Darius’ Hill continued his hot hitting with his second straight two-hit, two RBI game.

After clinging to a 1-0 lead through the first six frames, the Mountaineers’ bats finally got hits when it mattered. Despite having runners on base in the second, third and fourth innings, West Virginia was unable to score. Finally in the seventh, the dam broke. Two walks, a single and a fielders’ choice gave WVU bases loaded and only one out. Sophomore catcher Ivan Gonzalez reached on a fielder’s choice to give WVU a 2-1 lead. Darius Hill cleared the bases with a shot to the wall in right center.

NEWS AND NOTES

Braden Zarbnisky leads the team with a line of .500/.625/.667/1.292.

Darius Hill leads the team in hits with 5 including two doubles. Hill also leads the team in RBI with 4.

Kyle Davis struggled this series going 2-13 at the plate but both hits went for extra bases. Davis homered in the first game and a double in Sunday’s finale.

The Mountaineers’ hit into four double plays over the weekend.

Third baseman Cole Austin went 2-2 in stole base attempts over the weekend.