MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – More than 30 West Virginia University baseball alumni squared off against the current WVU baseball team in the annual Alumni Game, with the current team winning 12-5 on Sunday afternoon at Monongalia County Ballpark.
The current Mountaineers scored four runs in the first inning and took a 6-2 into the seventh. Both teams scored three in the seventh inning before WVU added a run in the eighth and two in the ninth.
The alumni team included players from seven different decades, from 1957 to five players representing last year’s squad. The alumni were coached by Jedd Gyorko, a current member of the St. Louis Cardinals and a Mountaineer from 2008-10.
“It was great to have all of our alumni here this weekend and see them compete again today,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “It was a great way to close out the fall season for our team and a really fun weekend for everyone.”
“It’s always good to see these guys,” Gyorko said. “We come from far away, and people kind of spread out once they leave WVU. You don’t get to see those guys as much as you’d like, but anytime to get a chance to come back and see them and see how everything is going, it’s pretty cool to see them now that they’re out of the game. It’s always good to come back and support the team and get to see them play for a day.”
The current Mountaineers got out to an early lead in the first inning, when sophomore Marques Inman doubled to score sophomore Kyle Gray. Senior Jackson Cramer followed with an RBI double to right. Sophomore Cole Austin capped the inning with a two-run home run to right-center field to put the Mountaineers up by four after an inning.
Sophomore Michael Grove got the start and pitched two perfect innings for WVU, striking out five alumni.
The alumni remained hitless until the third inning, when Eric Saffell singled and came around to score on an RBI single to right by Mark Dvoroznak. The alumni scored again on an RBI single by Grant Buckner in the top of the fourth inning to bring home Ryan Tuntland.
West Virginia answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning when Inman was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give him his second RBI of the afternoon. WVU extended its lead to 6-2 with a run in the bottom of the sixth on a throwing error.
The alumni came back with three runs in the top of the seventh to cut the deficit to one, at 6-5. Dwayne Smith got the action started with an RBI double that scored KC Huth. Justin Fox singled and scored on a Justin Parks RBI double to left.
The Mountaineers answered though, with a pair of RBI triples by Austin and freshman Brandon White, along with a wild pitch that scored Austin to give the Mountaineers a 9-5 lead after seven.
West Virginia continued to add on with one in the eighth and two in the ninth. Inman homered down the left field line in the bottom of the eighth for his third hit and third RBI of the day. In the bottom of the ninth, sophomore Nolan Ritchie tripled to left, bringing around freshman Jake Marshal to score. Ritchie scored from third on a wild pitch for the 12-5 final.
The Alumni Game marked the conclusion of the fall season for the Mountaineers. The 2017 schedule will be released in the coming weeks, along with information on 2017 season tickets and the annual Leadoff Banquet, set for Friday, February 3. Fans are encouraged to stay tuned to
WVUSports.com for the latest news and updates.
