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WVU Rallies Late But Falls in Extras
April 30, 2017 05:09 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 25 West Virginia University baseball team rallied to erase a 4-0 deficit, but lost in extra innings to Oklahoma, 7-4, on Sunday afternoon.
On a warm, sun-soaked day at Monongalia County Ballpark, the Mountaineers (25-17, 10-8 Big 12) scored two runs in the sixth and seventh innings to tie the game at 4-4. However, the Sooners (30-16, 8-7 Big 12) scored three runs in the 10th inning to win it.
“We only have about three weeks left in (the regular season), and what’s going to carry us through the stretch here is simply effort,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “The effort was really good today, and all I told them was to sustain the effort that you gave today for the rest of the season. We’re talking about the next three weeks of their life. Just commit. Commit to this jersey and to this University, all the people that come to watch you and all the kids that look up to you.
“For the next three weeks, give it all for the Mountaineers. If we do that, we’re plenty good enough to finish strong. If we don’t get the effort, we won’t, but it’s 100 percent, across the board by every guy, holding every one of their teammates accountable for running out all your fly balls, running out all your groundballs, eating right, sleeping right and doing the right things across the board. I believe we’ll do it. I have a lot of faith in these guys.”
Senior first baseman Jackson Cramer hit his team-high eighth home run of the season in the sixth inning, a two-run shot that sparked the Mountaineer rally. He led the team with two RBIs.
After Oklahoma took a 3-0 lead in the second inning, freshman Kade Strowd and three relievers held OU to one run on three hits until a three-run 10th inning.
Sophomore right-handed reliever Braden Zarbnisky pitched 1.0 innings and suffered his first career loss, allowing three runs on two hits in the 10th inning.
The Mountaineers had single hits in each of the first three innings, and a walk in the fifth, but could not get more than one runner on base until the sixth inning.
Sophomore catcher Ivan Gonzalez singled with one out, and Cramer followed with his 26th career home run. That got the Mountaineers on the board, and made it a 4-2 ballgame.
West Virginia tied the game at 4-4 the following inning, scoring two runs on three hits with the help of an OU fielding error.
The inning began with back-to-back singles, and an error by the OU pitcher on a sacrifice bunt loaded the bases. Freshman center fielder Brandon White then reached on a fielder’s choice, allowing a run to score and putting runners on the corners. Sophomore second baseman Kyle Gray followed with a single through the right side to bring home the tying run.
Oklahoma scored its first three runs in the second inning. It began with a leadoff home run by Austin O’Brien, and was followed by a hit-by-pitch, a double and a two-RBI single.
In 4.2 innings, Strowd allowed three runs on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
Strowd gave up a single in the fourth and stranded a pair in the fourth before getting the first two outs in the fifth inning. Senior righty Jackson Sigman came in and got the final out of the fifth.
The Sooners added to their lead with a solo home run by Brylie Ware in the sixth inning, making it a 4-0 game.
That’s when the WVU bats came alive, scoring two in the bottom of the sixth and another two in the seventh to tie the game at 4-4.
West Virginia threatened to walk off in the ninth inning, as Zarbnisky led off with a walk. He was sacrificed to second and stole third, but with two outs, he could not score.
With the 10th inning beginning at 3:44, a minute before the travel curfew would have stopped an inning from commencing, Oklahoma scored three runs, the first two on bases-loaded singles and the last on a sacrifice fly.
That proved to be enough for OU, as West Virginia was retired in order in the bottom half.
WVU’s eight-game homestand continues on Tuesday, May 2, against Eastern Michigan, at 6:30 p.m. ET. The game is a Dollar Day, with tickets and select concession items available for just $1. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, online at WVUGAME.com or at the Mountaineer Ticket Office at Gate A of Monongalia County Ballpark on gameday or in advance at the Gold Gate at the WVU Coliseum.
NOTES: West Virginia falls to 25-17 on the season and remains in second place in the Big 12 with a 10-8 league record … Jackson Cramer hit his team-leading eighth home run of the season in the sixth inning … Braden Zarbnisky suffered his first career loss, and is 5-1 this season and 9-1 in his career.
Single game tickets, flex plan tickets and mini packs for the 2017 WVU baseball season are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, going to WVUGAME.com or visiting the Mountaineer Ticket Office in the WVU Coliseum. The 2017 schedule is available on WVUsports.com.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visit WVUsports.com.
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