A three-run eighth inning tied the game for West Virginia baseball, but their comeback attempt ended up not mattering as the Mountaineers lost to Stetson 7-5 in extra innings.
Lorenzo Meola hit a two-run home run in the 11th inning as the Mountaineers’ comeback attempt ended up not mattering. Meola’s home run came after WVU got out of a bases loaded jam in the 10th inning, but WVU’s offense couldn’t piece anything together in the two extra frames.
It was a very quick turnaround for the Mountaineers and Hatters with first pitch scheduled for 10:30 a.m., rain pushed the start time back an hour to roughly an 11:30 a.m. first pitch.
The delay did not seem to impact either offense, as both teams scored in the first inning. The Mountaineers got on the board after JJ Wetherholt reached on an infield single, before Sam White walked. Ellis Garcia drove Wetherholt in on a double, before White scored on a sacrifice-fly from Grant Hussey as the Mountaineers led 2-0.
Tyler Switalski got the start on the mound, a transfer from Gardner-Webb. He would allow the first two batters he faced to reach on a walk and a single, before they both got into scoring position on a double steal. All it then took was a passed ball which scored Lorenzo Meola and WVU led 2-1 after the first.
Both Switalski and Stetson pitcher Dylan Jacobs were able to settle in from that point on, with no team scoring again until the sixth inning.
Switalski would pitch into the sixth, but quickly ran into trouble. He walked the first batter he faced before giving up a single and that was the last batter he faced. In for WVU came David Hagaman, but he was unable to end the threat.
He hit the first batter he faced to load the bases, before walking in a run to tie the game at 2-2. Hagaman then gave up a single to Gio Cueto as the Hatters one up 3-2. Hagaman was able to record two outs, but Kyle Jones singled to score two more as Stetson led 5-2 at the end of the sixth.
In the seventh, the Mountaineers were retired in order, but that didn’t alter their fight.
On Friday night the eighth inning was where the Mountaineers worked their magic to take a late lead, and on Saturday, the eighth inning Brough more of the same.
White singled to left field with one out in the inning, before Garcia flew out. Then, with two outs, Hussey hit a fly ball, which was dropped by Stetson left fielder Evan Griffis, allowing White to score. That would not be all for West Virginia though, as junior college transfer Brodie Kresser hit a two-run homer, tying the game at 5-5.
WVU got JJ Wetherholt into scoring position in the ninth inning after he doubled, but could not score him. Hagaman, who struggled in the sixth, pitched a scoreless seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, sending the game to extra innings.
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