West Virginia played the second and final of a two game midweek series against Appalachian State on Wednesday afternoon, winning 18-5. Appalachian State scored all five of their runs in two innings, and were held scoreless after the third inning.
Gavin Van Kempen got the start for West Virginia, and struggled throughout but WVU kept their bats hot from yesterday, scoring double digit runs for the second consecutive day to pick him up. It was a balanced attack for the Mountaineers this game, with nine different players recording a hit.
The offense started early for WVU, scoring four runs in the first inning on a Dayne Leonard RBI sac-fly, a Caleb McNeely RBI single, McNeely stealing second and third, before scoring on a wild pitch, capped off by Ellis Garcia’s first career home run.
Appalachian State got one back in the second inning, on an Alex Aguila single, but Van Kempen struck out the next batter to hold WVU’s lead at 4-1.
The third inning was where the wheels fell off for Van Kempen, loading the bases with no outs and walking in a run on the next batter. Van Kempen struck out the next hitter, but a double by Braxton Church allowed two runners to score and tie the game. An RBI groundout by CJ Boyd ended Van Kempen’s day, with Appalachian State leading 5-4. Jake Carr escaped the inning with a strikeout.
West Virginia quickly tied the game in the top of the fourth, with two walks and a Dayne Leonard single, but that’s all they would get as Caleb McNeely struck out with a man on third.
The fifth inning was the first without any runs scored for either team, but WVU would strike next in the sixth inning. Logan Suave doubled to lead off the inning, and Braden Barry hit a triple to score Suave. Once again WVU would strand a runner on third though, as JJ Wetherholt grounded and Leonard flew out to end the inning.
WVU got some cushion in the seventh, with Landon Wallace hitting an RBI double, Tevin Tucker hitting an RBI fielder’s choice and Wallace stealing home. WVU left runners on second and third to end the inning, but opened up a 9-5 lead.
West Virginia got an insurance run in the eighth on a Ellis Garcia RBI double, then broke the game wide open in the ninth inning. The Mountaineers scored eight runs in the inning, on only two hits, with 12 batters coming to the plate. The two hits in the inning were both RBI doubles, by Dayne Leonard and Skylar King.
Jake Carr got the win for WVU, going four innings in relief and allowing only two hits and no runs. Carlson Reed and David Hagaman combined for 2.1 innings to close the game, with neither allowing a hit. The Mountaineers bullpen in total pitched 6.1 innings of scoreless baseball, with only two hits.
Ellis Garcia led West Virginia, going 4-for-5, including a double and homerun with two RBI’s. Dayne Leonard went 2-for-4 with four RBI’s, two walks and a double. Nine WVU hitters recorded a hit in the game, and eight different players recorded an RBI.
Photo by Aaron Parker
