Baseball: WVU Tops Old Dominion in Opener
February 20, 2004 06:32 PM | General
February 20, 2004
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CHARLESTON, S.C. - The WVU baseball team started the 2004 season off on the right foot with a 7-4 victory over Old Dominion, Friday afternoon, in the first game of the Homewood Suites Shootout at Joseph P. Riley Park.
The Mountaineers (1-0) received gutsy performances on the mound from junior Shawn Miller and freshman Wes Osbourn as they combined for 14 strikeouts and just three walks on the day.
"The guys played hard and really wanted to win this one against a good Old Dominion team," said head coach Greg Van Zant. "Shawn Miller competed for us as always and we came out swinging."
Miller (1-0) earned the victory after tossing five innings and allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits while walking one and striking out nine batters.
He had plenty of help offensively from the beginning, as senior Kurtis Clinton lined a two-out single to right field to score Jake Serfass, who had singled to lead off the game, to give WVU an early 1-0 lead in the first inning.
After Old Dominion tied the contest 1-1 in the top of the third, West Virginia countered in the bottom half as Clinton laid down a surprise bunt single down the third base line with two outs and runners at second and third, scoring Lee Fritz and then Grant Psomas after ODU's Allen Strick errantly tossed the ball past the first baseman.
"That play was completely Kurtis' idea," said Van Zant. "He saw that the third baseman was playing back and knew if he got down a good bunt that he could beat the throw to first. It took great execution and was a very smart play."
The Monarchs (2-2) would pull within one after scoring a run in the fourth, and threatened again in the sixth after Derrick James singled off Miller to start the inning. Miller was then pulled in favor of Osbourn, who struck out his first batter and later escaped from a bases loaded jam with another strikeout in his first collegiate inning pitched.
The Mountaineers tagged on three more runs in the bottom half of the sixth on RBI singles by freshman Michael Christoforo, Serfass and Fritz.
Despite allowing two runs in the top of the seventh inning, Osbourn remained tough and struck out the final two ODU hitters with a runner on third base.
WVU scored an insurance run to take a 7-4 lead in the eighth inning after Fritz laced a triple over the centerfielder's head that plated Doug Nelms, who reached on an error.
Osbourn, who struck out five through four innings pitched, earned the save after the Shinnston native tossed a scoreless ninth to seal WVU's first opening day victory since 1998.
"The thing that I'm most impressed about is the way our freshman and first-time starters played," said Van Zant. "Osbourn goes out there and throws just two walks in four innings, Edmeads and Christoforo played well, Doug Nelms played hard for us. Those guys really came through today."
Clinton finished 3-for-3 with two RBI while Serfass went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for West Virginia. Freshman designated hitter Tim Edmeads picked up his first collegiate base-hit when he lined a single to left field on the first pitch of his first at bat of the day.
Old Dominion starter James Burok (1-1) allowed six runs, three earned, through five and one-third innings while striking out six and walking one.
The Mountaineers return to action at the Homewood Suites Shootout on Saturday, Feb. 21, as they take on tournament host The Citadel at 3 p.m., at Joseph P. Riley Park. West Virginia has yet to name the game's starting pitcher while the Bulldogs will send sophomore right-hander Ken Egleton (0-0) to the mound.
