Baseball: USF Takes Series Finale
April 06, 2008 05:34 PM | General
April 6, 2008
BOX SCORE
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – USF benefited from five Mountaineer errors and used three runs in the top of the 11th inning to take the series finale from West Virginia, 5-2, Sunday afternoon at Hawley Field.
West Virginia starter Matt Yurish held the Bulls hitless until the fourth inning when Chris Rey smacked a leadoff double down the left field line. Brandon Smith laid a bunt down and advanced Rey to third. Brian Hobbs then drove in the game’s first run with an RBI groundout that hit off Yurish’s leg, giving USF an early 1-0 lead.
The Mountaineers tried to answer in their half of the fourth when Jedd Gyorko led off with a double off the wall in left field followed by a Vince Belnome walk. The runners moved up into scoring position on a wild pitch with one out but Tobias Streich and Austin Markel popped out and ground out respectively to end the threat.
USF increased its lead in the seventh when WVU committed two errors, one of which led to an unearned run. Eric Baumann drew a walk to begin the seventh inning and then was replaced on the base paths by Mike Consolmagno. Billy Gross came in to relieve Yurish and promptly induced a ground ball from Jonathan Koscso to Belnome at third who threw a strike to second that Gyorko dropped. The error allowed Consolmagno to advance to third. Addison Maruszak then hit a sacrifice fly to left to give the Bulls a 2-0 lead.
As the team had done all series, West Virginia rallied to tie the score 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning. Jordan Yost began the frame by lacing a single into right field. Tyler Kuhn then doubled off the wall with one out, advancing, Yost to third. Yost scored on a wild pitch by Stultz, as Kuhn moved to third. Kuhn then scored the tying run when Belnome hit a sacrifice fly to center field.
USF retook the lead in the 11th inning with the help of another WVU error. With one runner on, Kosco hit a hard ground ball to Belnome at third base and reached on a fielder’s choice after Gyorko dropped Belnome’s throw to try to complete the double play.
Maruszak was then hit by a Gross pitch to load the bases, and Joey Angelberger brought in the game-winning run with an RBI fielder’s choice. Lockwood then hit a two-run double down the left field line to give the Bulls a 5-2 advantage.
Stephen Hunt (1-1) took the win for USF, (15-15, 5-7)pitching a scorless 11th inning.
Yurish (2-1) took the no decision in one of his best outings of the season. The left-hander pitched six strong innings, allowing three hits and two runs, one earned, while striking out five.
Gross (4-1) took the loss, giving up three runs, one earned, off of three hits while striking out three in five innings of work. Tyler Kuhn and Dan DiBartolomeo combined for five of WVU’s eight hits to lead the Mountaineers (24-7, 6-3) in the losing effort.
West Virginia returns to action against Ohio University for one game on Wednesday, April 9, at 7:05 p.m. WVU follows with a three-game series at Seton Hall starting on Friday, April 11, at 6 p.m.
