Baseball: Gyorko's Blasts Highlight WVU Rout
March 14, 2010 04:54 PM | General
By Steve Stone for MSNsportsNET.com
March 14, 2010
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| Jedd Gyorko |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Junior Jedd Gyorko’s two home runs highlighted the West Virginia University baseball team’s 14-4 rout over Manhattan on Sunday afternoon at Hawley Field.
Gyorko hit a leadoff home run in the first inning on a 2-2 breaking ball to give the Mountaineers (5-9) an immediate 1-0 lead, then hit another solo shot to left field in the seventh to pad WVU’s advantage at 14-4, the game’s final score. Gyorko finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored.
The performance was Gyorko’s second career multi-home run game. His first came as a freshman on March 24, 2008, against Coppin State.
“We had a lot better at-bats today,” coach Greg Van Zant said. “They pitched well on Friday, and Manhattan’s pitcher on the mound today got his pitches up and we were able to score four runs on him in the first inning. That set the tone. When your leadoff hitter hits a home run right away, it gets things going.”
WVU scored five early runs through three innings of work, protecting starting left-hander Chase Pickering (1-1). The sophomore from Cross Lanes, W.Va., had his best outing of the season, surrendering four runs on seven hits in six innings pitched to get his first victory of the season. Pickering showed good command of his breaking ball all afternoon, tying his career-high with five strikeouts.
WVU’s first four hitters in the batting order – Gyorko, Dom Hayes, Grant Buckner and Matt Frazer – went a combined 9-for-18 with seven of the team’s 14 RBIs. Hayes recorded his sixth consecutive multi-hit game by going 2-for-4 with a two-run double to left field in the fourth inning to put WVU ahead 7-4.
Buckner finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored. The Elkview, W.Va., native also helped the Mountaineers produce a six-run fourth frame with an RBI double to left center, his first of two on the afternoon. During the Mountaineers’ offensive onslaught in the fourth, Gyorko, Hayes and Buckner drove in one run apiece on consecutive RBI doubles.
Frazer recorded two hits and two RBIs, which included a two-run double down the left field line in the first inning to give the Mountaineers a 3-0 lead. First baseman Justin McDavid also finished with two hits and two RBIs, including a two-run single to centerfield in the sixth to plate Matt Malloy and Kevin Griffin and give WVU a sizeable 13-4 advantage.
The Mountaineers produced 14 base hits and struck out just twice as a unit. Following Pickering’s impressive performance, freshman right-hander Jared Hill pitched three effective innings to earn his first career save. The Harrsiburg, Ohio, native allowed no runs on four hits while striking out four in three innings.
The Jaspers (7-4) were led by an impressive 5-for-5 performance from cleanup batter Chad Salem, who belted a solo home run to left field in the third inning.
Manhattan starter Eric Luksis (1-2) took the loss after allowing nine runs on nine hits in three innings pitched. Relievers Mike Gazzola and Mike Gonzalez combined to give up five runs in five innings pitched.
After yesterday’s contest was rained out, Van Zant said his team came together and talked about trying to put the season in a new perspective.
“We had a meeting yesterday and tried to break our season down into quarters. Today was the first game of our second quarter, and we’re 1-0,” Van Zant added. “We’re going to try to do better in these next 13 games than we did our first 13 games, so we’re off to a good start.”
WVU begins the second week of its homestand on Tuesday, March 16, with a doubleheader against Niagara at Hawley Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m., with a second game to follow.
