Baseball: WVU Drops Game Two to USF
April 06, 2007 10:49 PM | General
April 6, 2007
BOX SCORE
TAMPA, Fla. – The West Virginia University baseball team fell 9-8 to South Florida this evening at Red McEwen Field in day two of BIG EAST action.
The Mountaineers (17-10, 3-5) held a 3-2 lead, but would face a tough USF offense in the third inning. The Bulls (25-9, 8-3) scored five runs to take a 6-2 lead.
West Virginia answered with a three-run fourth inning. Second baseman Jason Pape drove in a two-RBI single to score Jordon Yost and Justin Parks. Yost led off the inning with a bunt single while Parks advanced after being hit by a pitch from South Florida starter Chris Delaney. Shortstop Tyler Kuhn later knocked out a sacrifice fly to narrow USF’s lead to 6-5.
Down 9-5 in the eighth inning, true freshman Vince Belnome sent a three-run home run sailing out of the park to bring the Mountaineers to within one run of the Bulls (9-8). Belnome’s homer was the first of his career at West Virginia.
Levi Maxwell (4-2) took the loss for the Mountaineers. The right-handed pitcher allowed six runs on six hits while walking four in 2.2 innings of work. South paw Eric Saffell and right-hander Billy Gross both pitched in relief.
Delaney (7-0) was credited with the win as he allowed eight runs on nine hits while striking out seven.
Adam White, Pape and Yost were all 2-for-4 on the day. Yost and Belnome each scored twice. With a RBI double in the third inning, Justin Jenkins extended his hitting streak to a team-best 26 games.
The Mountaineers and the Bulls will close out the three-game BIG EAST series with a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, April 7.
