Last weekend against Texas Tech, West Virginia was swept and did not score more than four runs in any of the three games.
The Mountaineers would score four in the first inning on Friday night against Baylor, as the offense returned to form, beating the Bears 18-5 in game one from Kendrick Family Ballpark.
It was evident early on the bats would need to deliver for West Virginia (24-16, 12-7 Big 12). Starting pitcher Hayden Cooper was unsettled in the opening frame, as the Bears got two runs, including a leadoff home run from Enzo Apodaca.
It would not take much time at all for West Virginia to respond, as they hit four consecutive singles to start the bottom half of the inning, plating three runs in the process. JJ Wetherholt, Logan Sauve, Sam White, and Reed Chumley all singled, as WVU quickly led 3-2. West Virginia would plate one more in the inning, as Reed Chumley scored on a sacrifice-fly from Grant Hussey, with WVU finishing the frame in front, 4-2.
Cooper would put up a zero in the second, as West Virginia’s offense quickly got back to work.
The first four batters of the inning reached base safely, with the big hit coming off the bat of JJ Wetherholt. A hit-by-pitch and walk brought Wetherholt to the plate who hit a 412-foot home run (3), as West Virginia took a 7-2 lead. The Mountaineers didn’t stop there, as Kyle West singled to score another run, and then Grant Hussey tripled to the right-center field gap, and then scored on a little league home run as Baylor overthrew the relay and it went out of play.
West Virginia scored six runs in total in the second inning, leading 10-4.
The six-run lead would not seem to be comfortable, as the Bears grabbed two runs back in the third, with two scoring on a Zach Mazoch single. Once again though, WVU responded, scoring two in the bottom of the inning for themselves, as Wetherholt and Sauve both squared up deep fly balls which resulted in a pair of sacrafice-fly’s.
Cooper was making his 12th appearance of the season, but only his fourth start, and his first since Mar. 2. Cooper finished the night going just 2.2 innings, allowing four runs on six hits, walking one and striking out another.
This past Sunday, Cooper came in to relieve Tyler Switalski, but five days later it was the reverse order with Switalski relieving Cooper.
Switalski was a lot better than he was on Sunday, going 4.1 innings, striking out six, while holding Baylor to just one run on two hits in the process.
WVU’s offense never slowed down as Switalski chucked up zeroes. Kyle West’s 10th home run of the season added a run in the fourth, before WVU scored five in the seventh inning.
Skylar King got the scoring started with an RBI single, before Sauve reached on an error, allowing another run to score. The big knock came off the bat of Chumley, who roped a ball down in the right field corner, clearing the bases as WVU added three more to their total.
WVU’s 18 runs were the most they’ve scored this season and the most they’ve scored in a game since they scored 18 last season (also against Baylor) on Apr. 26, 2023.
Game two is set for 4:00 p.m. on Saturday from Kendrick Family Ballpark.
