All-Around Performance Leads WVU
May 07, 2011 08:20 PM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Another standout offensive performance from redshirt senior shortstop Grant Buckner and a complete game from redshirt freshman southpaw Marshall Thompson helped lead the West Virginia University baseball team to an 11-4 win and a split of a Saturday doubleheader at Hawley Field.
“Grant talked to the guys in between games to make sure they understood the importance of being able to erase game one from your mind and play game two as a completely separate game. That’s what you have to do,” coach Greg Van Zant said. “When you’re playing these doubleheaders you don’t have time to feel sorry for yourself and pout for 10 hours and then try to regroup, you have to regroup right then and our hitters and Marshall did a great job of that.”
Buckner went 2 for 3 with three runs, a triple, an RBI and two walks. Buckner finished the afternoon doubleheader with a 4-for-6 performance, including five runs, two doubles, one triple, three RBIs and three walks. He also has now reached base in 39 consecutive games, which currently leads the BIG EAST.
“The way we lost game one, we were winning for seven innings and they put a six-spot on us in the seventh inning, but it’s the way we bounced back,” Buckner said. “Matt Malloy got a big grand slam and Marshall did a good job for us, that was huge.”
Thompson (5-2) threw his second complete game of the season, going nine innings and allowing four runs on 11 hits. Thompson struck out five, while walking four.
“The big thing is you just have to throw strikes, whether you get behind in the count or they get a couple of hits,” Thompson said. You don’t nibble around, just throw strikes and hitters will get themselves out.”
The win also puts West Virginia in a tie for third place in the BIG EAST with Pittsburgh (12-8). St. John’s (12-7), who has played one less BIG EAST game, is in second place, while Connecticut (15-3) sits in first place.
The Mountaineers (26-19, 12-8) scored 11 runs on 10 hits, while Cincinnati (25-20, 11-9) scored four runs on 11 hits. Neither team committed an error.
Both teams scored runs in the first inning, ending the inning at 1-1. Senior Justin McDavid and Buckner each walked and advanced on a wild pitch, while a nine-pitch at bat leading to an eventual ground out from redshirt senior Jeremy Gum scored McDavid.
The Mountaineers broke the game open in the third inning with six runs on three hits, highlighted by a grand slam from Malloy. Redshirt senior Mark Dvoroznak led off the inning with a single through the left side, followed by a walk to sophomore Brady Wilson. McDavid sacrificed both players over, before Buckner was intentionally walked to load the bases. Redshirt senior Jeremy Gum was then hit by a pitch, scoring Dvoroznak, while sophomore Chris Rasky hit a single to center field that scored Wilson to make it 3-1. Malloy followed with his third home run of the season to left field to bring the score to 7-1.
“I got it pretty good. Any ball you miss hit is not going to carry out with these new bats,” Malloy said. “Last year you could miss hit a ball and it would carry out, especially if the wind was blowing out, but you have to get almost of all it to get it out this year.”
In the fourth inning, Dvoroznak had his second lead off hit, this time an infield hit to shortstop. Dvoroznak advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Wilson and third on a ground out to second base by McDavid. A single by Buckner to left field scored Dvoroznak, while Gum singled softly through the left side and Buckner hustled around the base paths, scoring on a play at the plate to bring the score to 9-1.
Cincinnati scored one in the top of the fifth and two in the top of the seventh, while WVU scored one in the bottom of the sixth after Buckner tripled and was driven in by a Gum sacrifice fly.
Dvoroznak scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth after doubling to left center field, advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt by Wilson and scoring on a McDavid sacrifice fly.
Dvoroznak finished game two batting 3 for 4 with three runs and a double. Matt Malloy had two hits, one run and four RBIs.
Gum also was hit by a pitch for the 19th time this season, breaking the single season record of 18 that was set by Justin Parks in 2009. Parks still holds the career record with 39 hit by pitches from 2005-09.
The Bearcats were led offensively by Justin Riddell and Braden Kline, who each went 3 for 5 with two RBIs apiece. Riddell added a run scored, while Jake Proctor had two hits and two runs.
Andrew Strenge took the loss, allowing nine runs on eight hits in five innings. Sam Slavik and Sam VandenHeuvel each allowed one run in relief for Cincinnati.
The squads will be back in action for tomorrow’s series finale at 1 p.m. The game can be heard in Morgantown on WAJR AM-1440 and MSNsportsNET.com.
“Grant talked to the guys in between games to make sure they understood the importance of being able to erase game one from your mind and play game two as a completely separate game. That’s what you have to do,” coach Greg Van Zant said. “When you’re playing these doubleheaders you don’t have time to feel sorry for yourself and pout for 10 hours and then try to regroup, you have to regroup right then and our hitters and Marshall did a great job of that.”
Buckner went 2 for 3 with three runs, a triple, an RBI and two walks. Buckner finished the afternoon doubleheader with a 4-for-6 performance, including five runs, two doubles, one triple, three RBIs and three walks. He also has now reached base in 39 consecutive games, which currently leads the BIG EAST.
“The way we lost game one, we were winning for seven innings and they put a six-spot on us in the seventh inning, but it’s the way we bounced back,” Buckner said. “Matt Malloy got a big grand slam and Marshall did a good job for us, that was huge.”
Thompson (5-2) threw his second complete game of the season, going nine innings and allowing four runs on 11 hits. Thompson struck out five, while walking four.
“The big thing is you just have to throw strikes, whether you get behind in the count or they get a couple of hits,” Thompson said. You don’t nibble around, just throw strikes and hitters will get themselves out.”
The win also puts West Virginia in a tie for third place in the BIG EAST with Pittsburgh (12-8). St. John’s (12-7), who has played one less BIG EAST game, is in second place, while Connecticut (15-3) sits in first place.
The Mountaineers (26-19, 12-8) scored 11 runs on 10 hits, while Cincinnati (25-20, 11-9) scored four runs on 11 hits. Neither team committed an error.
Both teams scored runs in the first inning, ending the inning at 1-1. Senior Justin McDavid and Buckner each walked and advanced on a wild pitch, while a nine-pitch at bat leading to an eventual ground out from redshirt senior Jeremy Gum scored McDavid.
The Mountaineers broke the game open in the third inning with six runs on three hits, highlighted by a grand slam from Malloy. Redshirt senior Mark Dvoroznak led off the inning with a single through the left side, followed by a walk to sophomore Brady Wilson. McDavid sacrificed both players over, before Buckner was intentionally walked to load the bases. Redshirt senior Jeremy Gum was then hit by a pitch, scoring Dvoroznak, while sophomore Chris Rasky hit a single to center field that scored Wilson to make it 3-1. Malloy followed with his third home run of the season to left field to bring the score to 7-1.
“I got it pretty good. Any ball you miss hit is not going to carry out with these new bats,” Malloy said. “Last year you could miss hit a ball and it would carry out, especially if the wind was blowing out, but you have to get almost of all it to get it out this year.”
In the fourth inning, Dvoroznak had his second lead off hit, this time an infield hit to shortstop. Dvoroznak advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Wilson and third on a ground out to second base by McDavid. A single by Buckner to left field scored Dvoroznak, while Gum singled softly through the left side and Buckner hustled around the base paths, scoring on a play at the plate to bring the score to 9-1.
Cincinnati scored one in the top of the fifth and two in the top of the seventh, while WVU scored one in the bottom of the sixth after Buckner tripled and was driven in by a Gum sacrifice fly.
Dvoroznak scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth after doubling to left center field, advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt by Wilson and scoring on a McDavid sacrifice fly.
Dvoroznak finished game two batting 3 for 4 with three runs and a double. Matt Malloy had two hits, one run and four RBIs.
Gum also was hit by a pitch for the 19th time this season, breaking the single season record of 18 that was set by Justin Parks in 2009. Parks still holds the career record with 39 hit by pitches from 2005-09.
The Bearcats were led offensively by Justin Riddell and Braden Kline, who each went 3 for 5 with two RBIs apiece. Riddell added a run scored, while Jake Proctor had two hits and two runs.
Andrew Strenge took the loss, allowing nine runs on eight hits in five innings. Sam Slavik and Sam VandenHeuvel each allowed one run in relief for Cincinnati.
The squads will be back in action for tomorrow’s series finale at 1 p.m. The game can be heard in Morgantown on WAJR AM-1440 and MSNsportsNET.com.
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