Baseball: WVU Earns Split, Snaps Losing Streak
April 22, 2006 10:02 PM | General
April 22, 2006
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| Dan Leatherman |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Logan Johnson’s throwing error in the eighth inning led to two unearned runs and helped West Virginia to a 10-9 victory over Louisville in game two of Saturday’s Big East Conference doubleheader at Hawley Field.
The victory snapped WVU's season-long nine-game losing streak after Louisville took the first game, 6-4. The loss was also the eighth straight in conference play for WVU after starting the year 5-0.
Trailing 9-7, singles by David Carpenter and Tyler Kuhn were wrapped around a walk by Bill Wooten to load the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Doug Nelms followed with a slow roller to second that scored Carpenter and pulled West Virginia to within one, 9-8. Justin Jenkins then hit what could have been an inning-ending ground out to Johnson at second, but Johnson's throw got past Cardinal first baseman Jorge Castillo, scoring both Wooten and Nelms.
"What happened was Justin Jenkins put the ball in play with two strikes," said West Virginia coach Greg Van Zant. "It was kind of a tough play because the first baseman wasn't sure whether to go to the bag or go for the ball, and when he went back he was at first base with the pitcher.
"But we don't have a chance if we don't put the ball into play."
In the ninth, WVU starter Dan Leatherman gave up a one-out double to Johnson, but was able to get Daniel Burton on strikes and Castillo to fly out to center to end the game.
Leatherman was hit hard giving up nine runs, seven earned, on 11 hits, but he managed to hold the Cardinals to just one run over the remaining four innings to get the complete-game win, his sixth of the season.
"He's our closer so who are you going to bring out there in the ninth inning?" Van Zant said. "He's already out there and I had no intention of going to the bullpen."
Catcher David Carpenter delivered a grand slam home run to left in the fourth when West Virginia was trailing 6-1, and added another RBI to drive in a career-high five runs for the game.
"Carpenter's hit came right after the lights went out for a short time and I was concerned if our hitters could see the ball or not," said Van Zant. "We wind up scoring four runs. We probably need to play with the lights off more often."
Casey Bowling went 3 for 4, while Kuhn, Kyle Matuszek, Jenkins and Carpenter had two hits each for West Virginia (26-13, 6-8).
Johnson was 4 for 4 with a pair of home runs for Louisville, now 17-22, 8-6.
"That two hitter for them (Johnson) ... we just couldn't get him out," Van Zant said. "He hit a changeup into the leftfield corner for a double, he hit fastballs over the rightfield fence for home runs. He drew walks and got hit by pitches. That might have been one of the single best offensive performances I've seen in this ballpark."
In the first game, Louisville jumped out to a 6-0 lead and held on for a 6-4 victory. Cardinals pitcher B.J. Rosenberg went the distance, scattering nine hits and striking out four to improve to 5-4.
Chris Cates went 4 for 5 with a pair of runs scored and Pete Rodriguez went 3 for 4 with two runs scored for the Cardinalse.
West Virginia starter Kenny Durst (3-3) lasted 4 2/3 innings, surrendering all six runs on nine hits. Reliever Levi Maxwell pitched a scoreless 4 1/3, striking out one and walking three.
Kuhn, Stan Posluszny and Wooten had a pair of hits each. Posluszny smacked his sixth home run of the year over the left field fence in the seventh.
"When you win you have confidence and when things aren't going your way you start questioning everything, but our guys have never quit," Van Zant said. "They are a pretty resilient bunch of guys and that second game is as big a win as I've been involved in considering the circumstances."
The two teams will finish the three-game series Sunday afternoon at 1 pm.
