Baseball: WVU Sweeps Niagara
March 07, 2006 08:03 PM | General
March 7, 2006
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| Nelms |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The West Virginia University baseball team took game one against Niagara, 9-2, and game two, 17-4, to sweep a mid-week doubleheader in its home opener on Tuesday, March 7, at Hawley Field in Morgantown, W.Va.
“It’s an excellent day when you can go to sleep with two more wins than when you woke up in the sport of college baseball,” said head coach Greg Van Zant. “We didn’t get back until late Sunday night and you could tell that we were a little tired. But we came and played two games in the cold with a lot of energy and intensity.”
In the day’s first game the Mountaineers (8-3) found themselves in a close game with the Purple Eagles (3-8) through the four innings as they led 4-2. But a five-run fifth inning helped West Virginia pull away.
With the bases loaded, freshman pitcher Dennis Chachko walked shortstop Doug Nelms to score Austin Markel from third. Junior third baseman Justin Jenkins came to the plate next and blasted a grand slam over the left field fence to clear the bases and put WVU in the driver’s seat.
Besides Jenkins’ four RBI, the Mountaineers got a pair of RBI from Nelms and Markel.
Junior Dan Leatherman pitched a complete seven inning game for the Mountaineers, allowing five hits and two earned runs, while striking out three batters.
In the second game West Virginia jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning off of a Nelms three-run homer that scored Adam White and Tyler Kuhn.
After Niagara’s Mike Alati cut the lead to 3-1 with a RBI double to center field in the top of the third, WVU pulled away again with four runs in the bottom of the third and five more in the fourth. Another five runs over the last three innings would help shut the door for good on the Purple Eagles.
Nelms led the offense with career highs in home runs (2) and RBI (6) on a 3 for 6 outing at the plate. Kuhn also had a monster game, as he batted 2 for 5 with a triple and five RBI.
Senior outfielder Casey Bowling hit his first home run of the season in the seventh inning. Jenkins, White and Michael Burger all added an RBI a piece as well.
Joe Stupka started the game on the mound for WVU as he went seven innings and allowed four runs on five hits, while striking out seven Niagara batters. Wes Osbourn and Mike Schmidt each recorded an inning of scoreless, hitless work.
The Mountaineers return to action Friday, March 10, at 3 p.m., when they host St. Peter’s in a four-game weekend series.
