STATESBORO, Ga. (Feb. 18, 2023) – The West Virginia baseball team fell to Georgia Southern, 6-2, Saturday afternoon at J.I. Clements Stadium, falling to 0-2 on the young season while the Eagles improve to 2-0.
Fifth-year senior Blaine Traxel suffered the loss but was solid in his WVU debut on the mound, throwing 5.0 innings while allowing just one earned run on four hits while striking out one and walking one.
West Virginia’s eight and nine hitters, freshman Logan Sauve and redshirt-senior Tevin Tucker, each had two hits on the afternoon with Sauve scoring a run as well. Redshirt-senior Caleb McNeely also added a hit and an RBI.
The Mountaineers jumped out to an early lead on a bases-loaded walk from McNeely, but that was all West Virginia could muster at the plate until the ninth inning.
Georgia Southern tied up the game in the third with an unearned run before taking the lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly and another unearned run. The Eagles tacked on three insurance runs in the sixth, taking advantage of four walks by WVU pitchers.
A trio of relievers – senior Jake Carr and freshmen Gavin Van Kempen and Maxx Yehl – kept the game within range for the Mountaineers, throwing the final 2.2 scoreless innings without allowing a hit.
The Mountaineers made it interesting in the ninth as Sauve and sophomore Tyler Cox singled and doubled, respectively, before two walks brought the tying run to the plate with two outs. The comeback halted there, however, as Georgia Southern ended the game with a strikeout.
The two teams will be back tomorrow at 1 p.m. to close out the series. Sophomore Grant Siegel is set to make his WVU debut on the mound.
Press Release and Photo Courtesy of WVU Athletics
