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Ninth-Inning Comeback Falls Short
April 12, 2016 11:03 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team suffered a midweek setback to Pitt, 4-1 on Tuesday evening at Monongalia County Ballpark.
The Mountaineers (17-14) loaded the bases in the ninth inning with two outs, but could only bring home one run. The Panthers (15-13) used a four run eighth inning to claim the 191st meeting between the two teams. WVU holds a 103-88 advantage in the all-time series.
WVU was held to one run on five hits, while Pitt scored four runs, all in the eighth, with six hits on the day. Both teams stranded 11 runners on base and had two errors.
In the ninth inning, the comeback attempt began when the Mountaineers loaded the bases with two outs thanks to a pair of walks and an error. After Pitt’s closer Yaya Chentouf entered the game, freshman designated hitter Ivan Vera delivered with a single to score junior pinch-hitter Shaun Wood.
With the bases still loaded and the potential game-winning run at the plate, freshman right fielder Darius Hill flied out to right field to end the game.
Vera and Hill were two of nine freshmen in the starting lineup. All five of WVU’s hits were recorded by freshmen. Vera had two hits for his sixth multi-hit game of the season. Hill, Andrew Zitel and Braden Zarbnisky also recorded hits.
“That’s one thing I never doubt with those guys is their effort,” said coach Randy Mazey of the freshmen in the lineup. “When (Pitt starter Sam Mersing) caught his groove on the mound, he got pretty good, and we didn’t have an answer for their starting pitcher.”
One of the nine freshmen to start was Wheeling, W.Va., native Michael Grove. For the second consecutive week against a rival, the right-hander was strong on the mound. Making his second career start in as many weeks, Grove pitched 5.0 shutout innings, allowing five hits with a career-best four strikeouts and four walks.
Pitt stranded at least one baserunner in each of the first four innings. Grove and WVU used a pickoff play in the first and a double play in the second to help keep the Panthers off the scoreboard.
“He made some really good pitches when guys got on base,” said Mazey of Grove. “For a young guy to go out there and throw the most important pitches and the best pitches of the game from the stretch, with guys on second base and third base, I think he grew up a lot tonight. He’ll clean up his walks. He’s going to be a really good pitcher for us in the future. That was encouraging. When he came out of the game, it was 0-0, so how can you ask for anything more than that, five shutout innings?”
The Mountaineers had chances at the plate early in the game, but stranded two runners on base in the first and one in the third, fourth and fifth.
After a 1-2-3 fifth inning, Grove gave up a leadoff single in the sixth. Sophomore righty Conner Dotson came in and ended the Pitt scoring threat.
In the seventh, Dotson and WVU gave up four runs on one hit with an error. The Pitt rally was helped by two hit batters and two walks. Dotson suffered the loss, his third of the year.
In the bottom of the inning, Zitel led off the inning with a walk. With one out, freshman shortstop Jimmy Galusky reached on a fielding error by the Pitt right fielder. With two runners on, a flyout and groundout ended the Mountaineer scoring threat.
Hill added a single with one out in the eighth, but he was stranded at first.
West Virginia welcomes Big 12 foe Kansas State to Morgantown from April 15-17 as part of WVU Family Weekend. The series begins on Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET, and there will be a postgame fireworks show, courtesy of WVU Medicine. Saturday’s 4 p.m. contest is Family Day, and fans can purchase four tickets and receive a $10 concession voucher for just $25. The series concludes on Sunday, April 17 with Kids’ Day, and fans can get autographs from the Mountaineers and run the bases after the game.
Notes: WVU and Pitt met for the 191st time, the most games played among any WVU opponent … WVU falls to 17-14 on the season and 7-7 at home … With a third-inning single, freshman Ivan Vera extended his reached base streak to 10 games and his hitting streak to a team-best seven games, both career longs … Freshman right-hander Michael Grove pitched 5.0 innings and allowed no earned runs for the second consecutive start with a career-best four strikeouts.
Single game and flex plan 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.
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