Derek Clark took the mound on Saturday coming off his worst start of the season last weekend against Texas Tech.
He redeemed himself in a big way, tossing eight innings, allowing two runs on five hits, walking three and striking out eight.
The left-handed Clark kept the Bears off balance all afternoon long a Kendrick Family Ballpark. Clark redeemed himself in more ways than one on Saturday, as the first batter of the game for Baylor reached as Clark covered first base on a ground ball to the right side of the infield, but he couldn’t find the base when he was covering. In the blink of an eye, Clark picked off the runner, and then pitched a scoreless opening frame.
Clark pitched a scoreless first three innings, while WVU got on the board in the second. Kyle West homered in his second straight game, hitting his 11th blast of the year to put the Mountaineers in front, 1-0.
Clark would run into his most trouble in the fourth inning, as a single, hit-by-pitch, single scored the first run for Baylor and tied the game, 1-1.
That would be basically all the damage Baylor did to Clark, outside of a home run in the eighth inning. Clark retired the next nine batters in order, before being taken out after the 8th inning.
After West’s blast, the Mountaineers would not find their groove until the fifth inning. WVU stranded nine runners on base in the first four innings, but that changed in the fifth.
WVU loaded the bases with no outs, before Sam White scored on a wild pitch. Grant Hussey then got an RBI on a groundout, before the third run came home on another RBI groundout from Brodie Kresser.
That’s all Clark and company would seemingly need until the ninth inning.
Carson Estridge came on in relief of Clark, but a pair of two-out singles brought the tying run to the plate. Maxx Yehl came in to record the final out, as JJ Wetehrholt dove to catch a line drive, ending the game. Baylor requested a review, and the call would be upheld, giving WVU their fifth Big 12 series win of the season.
Carson Estridge fires a pitch in the ninth inning. Photo by Aaron Parker, Blue Gold Sports
WVU had eight hits on the afternoon with West and Reed Chumley each having two. Wetherholt doubled in the first inning, and finished 1-for-3 with two walks.
JJ Wetherholt celebrates a double in the first inning. Photo by Aaron Parker, Blue Gold Sports
Game three is set for Sunday at 11:00 a.m. from Kendrick Family Ballpark.
