After starting the series with a win on Friday night, WVU was going for the series win on Saturday night in Stillwater, and secured the series win in a 9-5 victory over No. 18 Oklahoma State.
After changing leads throughout the game, the Mountaineers used a three hit, four run eighth inning to secure their second straight victory over the Cowboys. Braden Barry hit a RBI single before Landon Wallace hit a three run home run to cap off the four run inning.
Tevin Tucker led the Mountaineers offense, going three for three at the plate with a hit by pitch, as well as scoring three runs. Braden Barry and Landon Wallace recorded multi-hit games, with Barry also scoring three runs and Wallace hitting his sixth home run of the season.
Aidan Major came out of the bullpen in relief of starter Blaine Traxel and pitched 5.1 innings, allowing just one run and two hits while striking out eight Oklahoma State hitters to finish the game for WVU.
Oklahoma State took the lead first, in the bottom of the first inning after loading the bases and scoring two unearned runs on an error by Sam White.
West Virginia loaded the bases themselves in the second inning after two singles and a walk with one out. Dayne Leonard flew out to right field, but it was deep enough to score Tevin Tucker from third base and put West Virginia down one. West Virginia wouldn’t need to put a ball in play to plate the tying run, as a balk by OSU’s pitcher allowed the tying run to cross.
Oklahoma State took their lead back in the fourth inning after back to back doubles by Chase Adkisnon and Marcus Brown to start the inning. Roc Riggio added a double of his own later in the inning to take back their two run lead after four innings.
The Mountaineers responded in the top of the fifth by once again loading the bases, this time with no one out. Wallace hit a single to score a run, then Leonard grounded into a double-play to score the tying run. Caleb McNeely came through with a two out single to score WVU’s third run of the inning and take their first lead of the game at 5-4.
WVU held the Cowboys scoreless in the fifth and sixth, but a bunt single to lead off the seventh led to a Nolan Schubart RBI single to tie the game. Aidan Major was able to limit the Cowboys to just the one run and hold the score at 5-5.
The first two Mountaineers got out to start the eighth inning, but a two-out rally started by a Logan Sauve walk had West Virginia break the game open in the eighth inning. Tevin Tucker and Braden Barry followed the walk with back to back singles to score Sauve and regain the lead. Landon Wallace hit his sixth home run of the season to give WVU a 9-5 lead, a lead they would not surrender.
Major set the Cowboys down one-two-three in the bottom of the eighth and ninth to secure West Virginia their second straight victory and the series win.
