The West Virginia baseball team had an action-packed weekend. After their scheduled game against William & Mary was canceled on Friday, the Mountaineers played a double-header against VCU and Canisius on Saturday and Richmond on Sunday. WVU swept the double-header on Saturday, but weren’t able to complete the perfect weekend on Sunday afternoon, falling to Richmond 7-3.
Blaine Traxel was on the mound first for WVU on Saturday, coming off of a complete game, the first Mountaineer to pitch one since 2021. Traxel got off to a rough start, giving up three runs in the first inning and a run each in the second and third innings.
Traxel settled in after the third inning, pitching his second consecutive complete game and not allowing another run through the next six innings. Traxel struck out ten batters while only walking one.
JJ Wetherholt showed up for the Mountaineers once again in the victory, hitting a home run (3) and drawing a walk. Catcher Dayne Leonard also had a big game at the plate, hitting a home run (1) and finishing with four RBI’s. Freshman third baseman Ellis Garcia chipped in the other two RBI’s for WVU, who finished with an 8-5 victory in the first game of the day.
The second game on Saturday was much different. Junior Ben Hampton went the first seven innings of the game scoreless despite giving up seven hits. Landon Wallace doubled home Logan Sauve in the second inning and Wetherholt hit an RBI single in the fifth to have the Mountaineers up 2-0 after seven innings.
In the eighth inning Hampton was removed with two outs and a runner on first and David Hagaman was brought in to finish the inning. Hagaman would not record an out, as he threw a wild pitch that allowed the runner to advance to second, who was then singled home by Josh Niles. A wild pick-off attempt would allow Niles to advance to second and then third. A wild pitch would bring Niles home to tie the game and Aidan Major was brought in to clean up the mess.
Major got out of the inning without any more damage and the score was 2-2 after eight innings.
The WVU offense responded in the bottom half of the inning, with Wetherholt singling and advancing to second on an error. Dayne Leonard, who was the DH in the second game and Wetherholt scored to regain the lead.
Major got into trouble of his own in the top of the ninth inning, exiting with runners on first and third with no one out. Noah Short was brought in for one batter, who he struck out and Carlson Reed came in and induced a double play to end the game.
Grant Siegel started for WVU in the final game of the weekend, pitching four innings while allowing five hits and two runs, while striking out three.
Dayne Leonard continued his hot weekend on Sunday, hitting a home run (2) in the first inning to give the Mountaineers an early 1-0 lead. Caleb McNeely doubled the WVU lead in the second inning with a home run (2) of his own.
Richmond would get on the board with a home run of their own in the bottom of the second by Johnny Hipsman, who had four hits on the day.
Robby Porco replaced Siegel in the fifth, and set down Richmond 1-2-3. The sixth was a different story for Porco, who gave up two singles to start the inning, walked the next batter, and gave up an RBI single before being pulled for Carlson Reed. Reed struck out the first batter he faced but former Mountaineer Mikey Kluska hit another RBI single to give Richmond a 4-2 lead. After another strikeout, Alden Mathas hit a bases clearing double to give Richmond a 7-2 lead after six innings.
WVU would get one back in the seventh when Caleb McNeely hit another home run (3) but that was all they would get.
The Mountaineers had a chance in the ninth inning, after two walks and a single left them with the bases loaded and one man out. WVU would not capitalize on the opportunity though, as Landon Wallace flew out, then Tevin Tucker struck out to end the game stranding all three runners.
Catcher Dayne Leonard had a fantastic weekend, going 4-10 at the plate, with two home runs and six RBIs while walking twice and adding a double. Weatherholt continued his scorching start to the season, going 5-12, with a home run, three RBIs and a walk.
West Virginia will be back in action on Wednesday, March 8th for their home opener in a rematch against Canisius at 3 p.m.
Photo by WVU Athletics
