No. 24 West Virginia traveled to Huntington to take on their instate rivals, Marshall, late-game heroics allowed the Mountaineers to defeat Marshall 5-4.
The Mountaineers went into a mid-week non-conference game against Marshall riding a 10-game winning streak. Freshman David Hagen got the start, coming into this game sporting a 2.18 ERA in his first six starts.
WVU got on the board first in the top of the second courtesy of a two-rbi double off the bat of Grant Hussey to bring in Chase Swain and Jace Rinehart. Some sloppy defense in the bottom of the second allowed Marshall to tie the game at two in the bottom of the second.
After working into some trouble, Hagen was relieved for the game with two outs in the third inning. Ben Hudson was the first one out of the bullpen and stopped the bleeding to end the third.
Marshall would take the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a single to right by Jackson Halter, bringing home Cam Harthan to make it a 3-2 game. They would tack on another run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by Joel Gardner.
The Mountaineers offense went cold until the top of the seventh inning, Brodie Kresser laced a single down the right-field line to drive in Swain, who doubled to right center to lead things off. Down by only a run Gavin Kelly scored Kresser on an RBI single of his own to tie the game at four in the top of the seventh.
Marshall threatened in the bottom of the eighth after Gardner lined a one-out double but they failed to bring him home to break the tie.
In the ninth, Sawin walked to lead off the inning for WVU after a sac bunt and a wild pitch; Swain was at third with two outs. Before the pitcher could deliver the 2-2 pitch to Gavin Kelly and with two outs, Swain stole home to give the Mountaineers their first lead since the top of the second.
Carson Estridge struck out the side to pick up the save and give West Virginia their 31st win of the season and extend their winning streak to 11.
