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WVU Caps Home Season with Ninth Straight Win
May 15, 2016 06:53 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team concluded its 2016 home season with its ninth consecutive victory on Sunday afternoon, a 6-1 win against William & Mary.
The win capped a series sweep and was WVU’s 12th win in its last 13 games. The nine-game winning streak is West Virginia’s longest since an 11-game streak in 2008. After a sweep of Texas last weekend, the Mountaineers recorded back-to-back series sweeps for the first time since 2008.
West Virginia concluded its second season at Monongalia County Ballpark with a 20-10 record.
“They’re fun to watch,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said of his team’s hot play. “I think they understand that there’s a direct correlation to playing hard and playing well. They’ve grasped the concept of playing hard. When you have a bunch of young kids understand that concept, over the course of time, they’re going to get pretty good.
“Our guys have really stepped up against good teams lately. We had six wins in a row against Power Five conference teams. They like playing against teams like that, the fans come out for games like that. The atmosphere for games like that is really good.”
Before the game, Mazey and WVU Director of Athletics Shane Lyons honored the team’s senior class and graduating student-athletes. Seniors Jeff Hardy, KC Huth, Blake Smith and Ross Vance were recognized before their final home games as Mountaineers. Additionally, WVU graduates Hardy, Huth, Vance and juniors Jackson Sigman and Shaun Wood were honored with a graduation ceremony behind home plate.
The Mountaineers (31-19) scored four runs in the first inning and never looked back. Sophomore starter Conner Dotson and five relievers held the Tribe (24-26) to one run on six hits.
Huth capped his career at home with a bang, hitting a pair of RBI doubles. He had two hits and three RBIs with a walk in his home finale.
Freshman third baseman Ivan Vera had a hit and two RBIs, while junior Jackson Cramer and freshman Darius Hill both had two hits.
Making his second start of the season, Dotson allowed no runs on four hits in 5.0 innings. He struck out one and walked five.
Hardy made a relief appearance in his final home game, pitching a scoreless sixth inning and retiring William & Mary in order.
The scoring got underway in a big way in the first inning. After Dotson stranded two runners in the top of the inning, WVU responded with four runs in the bottom half. Freshman left fielder Braden Zarbnisky reached on a fielding error to open the inning. After sophomore designated hitter Kyle Davis walked, both Zarbnisky and Davis moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt. Vera drove them both home with a double to center field.
With two runners on, Huth hit the first of his two doubles to bring home both runners and give WVU a 4-0 lead.
Dotson stranded two more W&M runners in the top of the third and again WVU followed with a run in the bottom of the inning. With the bases loaded, West Virginia took advantage of another William & Mary defensive miscue and Cramer scored on a passed ball.
The Mountaineer lead became 6-0 in the fifth inning thanks to Huth’s second double of the game. Junior catcher Ray Guerrini singled with one out and scored on Huth’s long drive that bounced off the base of the wall allowed Guerrini to come around and score with a headfirst slide.
Hardy followed with a perfect sixth inning and sophomore right-hander Shane Ennis pitched a 1-2-3 seventh, with a pair of strikeouts. Both did not allow a hit in their one inning of work.
William & Mary scored one in the top of the eighth before freshman lefty Jacob Brewer recorded the final out of the frame.
Sophomore righty BJ Myers got the final three outs of the game in the ninth to preserve the victory and sweep.
West Virginia finishes the season on the road. The season-ending roadtrip begins at Pitt on Tuesday, May 17 at 6 p.m. ET. WVU then travels to No. 7 Texas Tech from May 19-21 before the Big 12 Championship begins on May 25.
Thank you for your amazing support during another memorable season at Monongalia County Ballpark!#HailWV pic.twitter.com/0Q2F4kVYdl
— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) May 15, 2016
NOTES: WVU improved to 31-19 on the season and 20-10 at home … WVU has won nine in a row, the longest winning streak since WVU won 11 in a row in 2008 … WVU has swept back-to-back series for the first time since 2008 … A total of 40, 390 fans filled Monongalia County Ballpark in 2016, the highest home attendance in team history … Before the game, coach Randy Mazey and WVU Director of Athletics Shane Lyons honored the team’s senior class (Jeff Hardy, KC Huth, Blake Smith and Ross Vance) and graduating student-athletes (seniors Jeff Hardy, KC Huth, Ross Vance and juniors Jackson Sigman and Shaun Wood) … Sophomore Conner Dotson picked up his team-high sixth win of the season.
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 Gate A of Monongalia County Ballpark. More information on single game tickets and can be found at WVUsports.com.
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