Mountaineers Overcome Base Running Blunder, WalkOff Against Baylor 7-6

In the first inning on Friday night, the Mountaineers looked like they took an easy 1-0 lead when first baseman Grant Hussey flied out to center and Austin Davis tagged up from third base and scooted across for an early lead. Baylor appealed, saying Davis never touched home plate and what should have been an early lead, remained a scoreless game. That lost run would haunt the Mountaineers as they chased that phantom until the bottom of the ninth.

If you have ever played baseball, you have stood in your backyard, facing whatever imaginary pitcher you wanted, telling yourself, “bases loaded, two outs, bottom of the ninth, full-count, it all comes down to this.” Nathan Blasick faced just such a situation as the Mountaineers rallied back to tie the game at 6 before loading the bases in the ninth inning and Blasick came to the plate and drew a two-out walk that gave the Mountaineers a 7-6 win.

Starting pitcher Jacob Watters was battered by Baylor, only lasting 3.1 innings and giving up 5 earned runs on 6 hits and 5 walks. Noah Short, Carlson Reed and Trey Braithwaite came in and gave Randy Mazey 5.2 innings of 1-run ball to keep the Mountaineers close.

Both team struggled with the cold as Baylor issued 6 walks on the night. Led by the top of their lineup, the Mountaineers trio of Austin Davis, JJ Wetherholt and Victor Scott had four of the Mountaineers ten hits.

Ultimately this game came down to the Baylor Bullpen which could not hold a lead. With the Mountaineers down 6-4, Baylor’s bullpen gave up two runs in the 8th inning and one in the ninth to lose the game.