The opportunity was there for West Virginia in their opening round NCAA Tournament game against Indiana. Now, the Mountaineers will face a steep climb as they drop game one to the Hoosiers, 12-6.
In a double-elimination style tournament, winning the first game is the key. West Virginia was in striking distance the entire night, including trailing 7-6 heading into the ninth inning. A collapse by the best of West Virginia’s bullpen would end up being the difference as the Hoosiers scored five runs in the ninth, ending any chance WVU had at coming back.
All season, West Virginia has gotten it done with Carlson Reed and David Hagaman out of the bullpen. Hagaman was the first out of the bullpen for WVU, and gave up one run from the sixth to the eighth inning.
Then in the ninth, Hagaman and Reed combined to face seven batters. In those seven batters, Indiana walked twice, and then with two outs, went triple, single, and home run off of Reed.
West Virginia’s offense showed the most life they had in almost three weeks.
Landon Wallace got things going with a home run in the first, putting WVU in front, 1-0. Indiana responded off of West Virginia starter Blaine Traxel. Traxel allowed two runs in the second, after the bases were loaded with no outs from two walks and an error by Tevin Tucker. Traxel would get two more strikeouts before giving up a two-run single, giving the Hoosiers a 3-1 lead.
In the third Indiana would add another run on a wild pitch, before West Virginia’s offense was able to answer.
Trailing 3-1, Dayne Leonard and Logan Suave both reached to start the inning. JJ Wetherholt would walk to load the bases, before Wallace would also walk to score another run. Then, Caleb McNeely hit a sacrifice-fly, tying the game at 3-3.
After tripling to start the fourth, Braden Barry scored on a double-steal with Sauve, giving WVU the lead back at 4-3. That would be the last lead they would hold though as Indiana scored three more in the fifth.
The Mountaineers got within one in the sixth, on a double from Suave, and would also get it within one in the eighth on a groundout from Suave.
Traxel threw 5.1 innings, striking out six, while giving up six runs (three earned) on five hits, and walking three.
Indiana starter Luke Sinnard lasted just 2.1 innings, giving up two runs on two hits.
West Virginia will be back in action on Saturday at noon in an elimination game.
