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WVU Falls in DH Opener to No. 4 TTU
May 06, 2017 08:19 PM | Baseball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team opened a three-game series against No. 4 Texas Tech with a 1-0 loss on Saturday afternoon, in the first game of a doubleheader.
On a cool afternoon at Monongalia County Ballpark, the Mountaineers (26-18, 10-9 Big 12) were held to a season-low two hits and shut out for just the second time this season. The Red Raiders (38-12, 12-7 Big 12) scored their one run in the fifth inning, while recording seven hits in the contest.
WVU’s hits came off the bats of sophomore designated hitter Braden Zarbnisky, with a second-inning single, and sophomore right fielder Darius Hill, who singled up the middle in the fourth inning. Both hits came with two outs.
On the mound for West Virginia, three freshmen right-handers made appearances. Starter Kade Strowd pitched 4.1 innings, allowing one run on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk. He was relieved in the fifth inning by Sam Kessler, who tossed 3.2 innings and allowed three hits with a pair of strikeouts and two walks. Cody Wood pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
Strowd suffered his second career loss, and exited the game in the fourth after giving up a one-out triple, which turned into the game’s only run.
For Texas Tech, starter Erikson Lanning allowed two hits, with two walks and a strikeout, in 6.0 innings pitched. Reliever Jacob Patterson did not allow a hit in the final three innings.
After Tech stranded two runners in the top of the second, WVU’s best scoring opportunity came in the bottom half, when a two-out walk was followed by Zarbnisky’s single to put runners on the corners. However, a flyout ended the inning.
TTU stranded two runners in the fourth before scoring the game’s lone run in the fifth.
WVU put a runner on in the sixth and seventh, via walks, but could do no more.
Following the second game of today’s doubleheader, the series between the Mountaineers and Red Raiders concludes on Sunday, at 1 p.m. ET.
NOTES: West Virginia falls to 26-18 on the season and 10-9 in Big 12 play … WVU is 8-5 against top-25 opponents in 2017 … Kade Strowd made his fifth career start and allowed a run on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk in 4.1 innings … Kyle Davis’ season-best 12-game hitting streak was snapped in the loss, while his reached-base streak was extended to a season-best 14 games thanks to a second-inning walk … Kyle Gray reached on an error in the third inning, to extend his reached-base streak to a career-best 15 consecutive games.
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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