West Virginia stayed undefeated on Saturday as it kicked off its first of three games in Nashville against Lipscomb.
After allowing two runs in the first inning, WVU scored one each in the second, fourth, fifth, seventh, and eighth innings to hold off the Bisons, 5-4.
Lipscomb’s loss comes off the heels of an 11-10, 13-inning win over Evansville on Tuesday, which followed a 3-1 over 2024 College World Series qualifier Kentucky the Friday prior.
Redshirt senior Griffin Kirn earned the start at the mound for WVU, pitching four full innings before sitting down. In his second start, Kirn allowed three total runs, all of which were scored on home runs. Parks Bouck hit the first to send himself and Jake Berg home, and Casey Sunseri hit the second on the first pitch of the fifth.
Kirn threw five hits, three walks, and a strikeout and hit a batter with a pitch. Fellow newcomer, graduate student Jack Kartsonas, earned the win on the mound with three hits and three strikeouts in 2.1 innings.
Kartsonas took over for Mac Stiffler in the fifth, who pitched one strikeout and one walk when briefly replacing Kirn. Junior left-handed pitcher finished the seventh inning for Kartsonas, striking out his only batter, before senior Reese Bassinger closed for the save. Bassinger allowed three hits and a run on zero strikeouts.
Offensively, junior centerfielder Skylar King shined once again, earning two hits in two at-bats and walking to first once. Catcher Logan Sauve and second baseman Sam White matched King’s hits and each scoring as well.
Kyle West scored once in the game as short stop Brodie Kresser scored the others. Kresser scored WVU’s final run in the top of the eighth on an RBI from senior Jace Rinehart, who pinch hit for the game-saving fielder’s choice.
West Virginia returns to Ken Dugan Field on Sunday for two games against Lipscomb. The first game is set to start at 1 p.m. ET ahead of the second at 4:30 p.m.
