LAS VEGAS (February 27, 2016) – The West Virginia University baseball team put on an offensive show as senior lefthander Ross Vance shut down UNLV in a 13-1 victory on Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas.

 

 

The Mountaineers (4-1) scored at least one run in six innings en route to their biggest offensive output of the season. Meanwhile, Vance improved to 2-0 on the young season as he held the Rebels (1-4) to one run on just three hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings of work.

 

“Ross Vance was really good, that was as good as I’ve seen him,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “He kept the ball down, and we played really good defense again. Our defense in the infield has been spectacular. It was good to get some guys off the bench today, and they all did something positive, which is good to see. We have the type of team we can get production out of anybody.”

 

Freshman right fielder Darius Hill paced the WVU offense with three hits for the second consecutive day. He added three RBI and scored two runs.

 

Freshman second baseman Cole Austin notched a pair of hits with four RBI and has now recorded a hit in each of his first five games as a Mountaineer. Austin’s second hit was a three run home run to cap a five-run eighth inning for WVU.

 

Senior KC Huth also had three hits, including a leadoff home run in the eighth inning that hit the scoreboard in left field. Sophomore third baseman Kyle Davis hit WVU’s first home run of the day with a solo shot in the fifth inning.

 

After a 9-6 win in the series opener, the Mountaineers claimed their second series win of the season with Saturday’s 13-1 victory. WVU’s 13 runs came on 17 hits by 10 different players. Behind Vance, the West Virginia defense committed no errors. UNLV scored one run on four hits with one error.

 

The Mountaineers opened the scoring with a two-run third inning. Huth led off with a single and freshman left fielder Kyle Gray followed with a bunt single. With one out, Davis walked to load the bases for Hill, who lined a single up the middle to score Huth and Gray.

 

The Rebels were shut down in order in the first three innings before they got on the board thanks to a solo home run in the fourth. WVU answered right back though with a pair the following inning. With two outs, Davis launched his second home run in as many nights to make it 3-1. Hill followed with a double and scored on Austin’s double.

 

Vance faced five batters in both the fourth and fifth innings, but only allowed one run, the fourth-inning leadoff home run.

 

With the potential for the UNLV offense to continue to heat up, WVU tallied another two runs in the sixth inning. Sophomore designated hitter Shaun Corso laced a double to left field and scored one batter later on Huth’s single.

 

After freshman shortstop Jimmy Galusky made a highlight-reel play to end a 1-2-3 sixth inning, West Virginia continued to add on with a run in the seventh. With the bases loaded, junior catcher Ray Guerrini’s sacrifice fly scored Davis.

 

WVU added five in the eighth, highlighted by Huth’s leadoff home run and a three-run shot by Austin, his second home run in as many days. Sophomore outfielder Kyle Casserly, who came off the bench in the seventh inning, scored WVU’s final run in the ninth inning with a leadoff single and scoring on freshman third baseman Marques Inman’s sacrifice fly, his first career RBI.

 

In relief of Vance, senior right hander Jeff Hardy pitched a scoreless eighth inning and sophomore right hander Nick Wernke threw the ninth without allowing a run.

 

The series with UNLV concludes on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, in Las Vegas. Live stats can be found at UNLVRebels.com, while UNLVRebels.com/Videos will have a live stream of the contest. Additional updates and notes from the team’s trip to Las Vegas will be available on social media by following and connecting with the team at @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 

 

NOTES: WVU improved to 3-1 all-time vs. UNLV … The win ensures WVU of its second series win to begin the season … Freshman Darius Hill had a two-RBI single in the third inning, giving him six RBIs and four hits in the first two games of the series … Sophomore Kyle Davis has hit a home run in back-to-back games and has two on the season, six in his career … With a fifth-inning RBI double, freshman Cole Austin has recorded a hit in all six games to start his collegiate career … Senior Ross Vance pitched 7.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits with eight strikeouts and one walk … Freshman Braden Zarbnisky notched his first career hit in the ninth inning … Freshman Andrew Zitel made his first career appearance and recorded his first career hit and scored in the eighth inning … Senior Jeff Hardy made his season debut and pitched a scoreless eighth inning … Freshman Marques Inman registered his first career RBI with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning.

 

 

Season and single game tickets for the 2016 WVU baseball season are on sale now. Fans can join the excitement of WVU baseball and contribute to the home field advantage at Monongalia County Ballpark by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, purchasing tickets at WVUGAME.com or visiting the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum. More information on season tickets and the 30-game home schedule can be found at WVUsports.com, while single game ticket information is available here.

 

For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.