UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The West Virginia University baseball team lost its first midweek road contest of the season, 5-4 at Penn State on Tuesday evening at Medlar Field.
The Mountaineers (10-8) scored four runs on eight hits but stranded 11 runners on base. The Nittany Lions (8-10) scored five runs on nine hits and left 12 runners on base. Both teams recorded an error in the contest.
“We had been playing really well going into TCU and played a really good team (at TCU) last weekend, and we came here and just played bad baseball today, and it’s the first time we’ve done that this year,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “I thought we had a chance tonight to recover from last weekend, we just couldn’t find a way to get it done.”
Junior first baseman Jackson Cramer led the WVU offense with his third home run of the season, a two-run shot in the third inning. Seven different Mountaineers accounted for WVU’s nine hits, with freshmen Kyle Gray and Darius Hill notching two hits apiece.
Sophomore right-hander Conner Dotson (3-1) pitched three strong innings in relief, but gave up one run in the seventh inning and suffered his first loss of the season. He held PSU to three hits and struck out two with two walks.
The Nittany Lions struck first with a pair of runs in the second inning. PSU loaded the bases and a single by Conlin Hughes scored one before another run scored on the play on a fielding error by Cramer.
WVU answered right back in the top of the third though with three runs to take a 3-2 lead. Gray was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and scored when sophomore third baseman Kyle Davis reached on a fielder’s choice.
Cramer followed with a long home run to right field to give WVU its first lead of the day. The homer was his third of the season and 12th of his career. Additionally, it extended Cramer’s reached base streak to a team-high 38 consecutive games.
After freshman right-handed starter Tanner Campbell shut down PSU in order in the bottom of the third, Penn State regained the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, with the help of two doubles and a wild pitch.
Again though, the Mountaineers responded the very next inning with a run in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 4-4. Senior center fielder KC Huth singled and scored on Hill’s triple. It was Hill’s 24th hit, 23rd RBI and third triple of the year, all team-bests.
Campbell exited after four innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
Dotson came in for WVU in the fifth inning and retired Penn State in order.
Both WVU and PSU loaded the bases in the sixth inning with two outs, but a flyout for the Mountaineers and a lineout for the Nittany Lions ended the scoring threats.
A leadoff triple and a sacrifice fly gave Penn State a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning and was the eventual winning run.
Senior right-hander Blake Smith came in and threw a scoreless eighth inning, allowing a hit and walking one.
On the day, WVU had at least two runners reach base in six innings. The Mountaineers stranded at least one runner in all but one of those innings, the three-run third.
Big 12 Conference play continues this weekend when WVU travels to take on Kansas in a three-game series beginning on March 25. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. ET on Friday, March 25 in the opener before a 5 p.m. ET contest on Saturday and a 2 p.m. ET series finale on Sunday.
NOTES: WVU falls to 10-8 on the season and 7-7 on the road … Sophomore Kyle Davis reached on a fielder’s choice in the third inning, extending his reached base streak to 36 consecutive games … Junior Jackson Cramer belted his third home run of the season and 12th of his career in the third inning and has now reached base in a team-high 38 consecutive games … Freshman Darius Hill’s fifth-inning triple was his 24th hit, third triple and drove in his 23rd RBI of the season, all team highs … After going hitless at Penn State, Davis’ career-long hit streak was snapped at 15 games.
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.
