West Virginia dropped the series opener to Arizona in extra innings to fall to 18-2 on the season.
Griffin Kirn got the ball for the Mountaineers in this one, going 2.2 innings, walking four, and striking out four, allowing only one earned run. The Wildcats had Collin Mckinney on the mound, who threw 4.2 innings allowing one earned run, striking out six and walking four Mountaineer batters.
The Wildcats got a quick two-run lead in the second inning on a two-run single to center field by TJ Adams, scoring Meurant and Splaine. In the top of the third inning, they extended their lead on a fielding error by WVU second baseman Sam White, pushing Arizona’s lead to 3-0.
Later in the top of the third, Arizona extended their lead to four with an RBI infield single by Brendan Summerhill.
The Mountaineers would get on the board at the bottom of the fourth after Skylar King brought Jace Rinehart home on a single to left field. King has been one of the Mountaineers best hitters all year coming into the game with a team-leading .444 batting average.
The Mountaineers would continue to cut the three-run deficit in the sixth inning after a two-out, two-RBI single by Logan Sauve that scored Kyle West and Chase Swain to make it a 4-3 ballgame.
Down to their last out, WVU would strike again in the bottom of the ninth after another RBI single from Skylar King, scoring Jorge Valdez to tie the game at four, pushing the game into extras.
After a scoreless 10th inning, the Wildcats threatened in the 11th, loading the bases with two outs but failed to plate the go-ahead run as Chase Meyer got a ground ball to end the inning.
In the bottom of the 11th inning, the Mountaineers threatened, getting runners on second and third, but couldn’t get the game-winning run home as Gavin Kelly struck out looking to end the inning.
In the top of the 12th, the Wildcats went down 1-2-3 as Chase Meyer pitched another scoreless inning. In the bottom of the inning, the Mountaineers went down 1-2-3 as Hunter Alberini struck out the side to send the game to the 13th inning.
Chase Meyer started the 13th inning for his third inning of work and worked a quick inning striking out two.
In the bottom of the inning, WVU left Brodie Kresser stranded at second after he walked and stole second.
In the top of the 14th, Chase Meyer left Adonys Guzman stranded at first while striking out two more Wildcat hitters. In the bottom half of the inning, Gavin Kelly reached first on a dropped third strike, and Skylar King followed that up with a single, his third hit of the game, before Ellis Garcia struck out swinging to end the 14th.
Meyer worked a 1-2-3 15th inning, getting two groundouts and a strikeout, giving his team a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the 15th inning.
In the bottom of the 15th, Grant Hussey started the inning at second after a fielding error by the Arizona center fielder before Sauve was intentionally walked, bringing up Chase Meyer, the pitcher, who was hitting because WVU ran out of option on the bench, who struck out looking to push the game to the 16th inning.
In the top of the 16th inning, Arizona led off the inning with a double by Mason White, which was followed up by a hit-by-pitch to set the Wildcats up with first and second, no outs. After a fielder’s choice, Meyer left the game with 69 pitches after going five innings, striking out five. Luke Lyman came into the game with runners on the corners and one out. Lyman walked the first batter he faced to load the bases, before he surrendered a two-run to single Guzman to give the Wildcats a 6-4 lead.
The Mountaineers went into the bottom of the 16th trailing 6-4, looking for a rally to at least tie the game.
West Virginia went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 16th inning to fall to 18-2 on the season. They will be back at home for the second game of the series at 4 p.m. EST on March 22.
