Baseball: WVU Powers Past Duquesne
April 27, 2010 11:51 PM | General
By Steve Stone for MSNsportsNET.com
April 27, 2010
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team ended its three-game slide with consistent production from its offense, resulting in a 16-6 victory against Duquesne on Tuesday night at Hawley Field.
“Our bats came alive tonight, but our pitching was also pretty good,” coach Greg Van Zant said. “A lot of our players stepped up and contributed in tonight’s win. Any time you get a quality effort out of your offense and pitching staff, you’re usually happy with the result.”
Every starting position player for the Mountaineers (18-23) recorded at least one base hit tonight, as WVU produced 20 overall, its most at Hawley Field this season. WVU’s previous season high at home was 19 in game two of a doubleheader against nationally-ranked Louisville on April 17.
WVU’s 16 runs scored are also its highest at home, besting its 14-4 victory over Manhattan at Hawley Field on March 14.
A six-run fourth inning fueled WVU’s offense, as it recorded six consecutive hits to start the frame and then broke away. Junior Jedd Gyorko led off with a solo home run to left center, his 14th of the season. Dom Hayes then doubled to centerfield, and Grant Buckner’s single put both runners on the corners.
Junior Justin McDavid then provided the game’s biggest blast, a three-run opposite-field home run down the left field line to give WVU an 8-0 lead. The hit extended McDavid’s team-best hitting streak to 17 games.
Later in the inning, Jeremy Gum scored on a wild pitch, and Colin Durborow singled to left field to add to WVU’s advantage.
McDavid produced a career-high four RBIs, while seven Mountaineers totaled multiple-hit games. The Mountaineers had seven of the game’s nine extra base hits, with junior catcher Kevin Griffin posting two doubles.
Griffin went 4-for-6 with one RBI and four runs scored. The Martinsburg native started WVU’s offensive output with a hard-hit RBI double to centerfield in the Mountaineers’ three-run third inning. Durborow, who went 2-for-2 with three RBIs, followed with a two-run double to centerfield to make it 4-0.
Buckner finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a walk, and Gum went 3-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored. Gyorko raised his batting average to .360 while reaching several milestones. He is now tied with Justin Jenkins for second all-time on the school’s base hits list with 253, and moves past former player Mark Landers for fourth-place with 168 career RBIs. Gyorko’s 30th career home run also ties him with Joe McNamee for fifth-place in school history.
Centerfielder Mark Dvoroznak finished with two hits, driving in the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly to right field.
Freshman left-hander Michael Twigg (2-0) got the win for WVU, throwing five innings and giving up three runs on three hits with two strikeouts. Twigg threw a sharp breaking ball early and often, and was especially effective when he regained his command on his off-speed pitch.
Right-hander Andy Berry was superb in relief, tossing three shutout innings and striking out four. Berry has now struck out 10 Duquesne players in five innings pitched this season, dating back to last week’s 23-6 win in Pittsburgh.
Duquesne’s Jim Devine (0-4) took the loss after allowing 10 runs on 11 hits in three innings pitched.
The victory gives the Mountaineers a 72-8 all-time record against the Dukes.
WVU heads to Cincinnati to face the Bearcats in a BIG EAST road series beginning on Friday, April 30, at 6:30 p.m. WVU’s Saturday and Sunday contests at 4 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively, can be heard on WAJR, with Kyle Wiggs and Ernie Galusky on the call.
