West Virginia Drops Opener to UNLV
April 06, 2018 03:52 PM | Baseball
The Mountaineers (11-15) scored four runs on 10 hits, while the Rebels (23-9) plated 11 runs on 14 hits. WVU committed four errors, which resulted in seven unearned runs. UNLV had one error to bring in two unearned runs for West Virginia.
In the first game of Friday's doubleheader, the two teams played a seven-inning contest, with a nine-inning game scheduled for game two.
Sophomore first baseman Marques Inman hit his second home run of the season and had a team-high two hits. A total of nine Mountaineers had hits in the game.
Sophomore right-hander Alek Manoah suffered the loss. He pitched into the second inning, giving up five runs, one earned, on four hits with two walks.
The Rebels scored five runs, four unearned, in the first inning on three hits with two WVU errors. The first four batters reached, and back-to-back groundouts brought in a pair of runs. A two-out single and double scored two more.
WVU answered with a run in the bottom of the first to make it 5-1. A single and double led off the inning, and junior right fielder Darius Hill followed with a sacrifice fly to score junior left fielder Braden Zarbnisky.
Sophomore right-handed reliever Cody Wood got back-to-back strikeouts in the second to strand the bases loaded, and West Virginia left one on in the bottom half.
UNLV scored two in the top of the third on a two-run home run by Jack-Thomas Wold. The Mountaineers responded with a home run of their own in the bottom half, thanks to Inman's fifth career long ball to make it 7-2.
A sac fly extended the UNLV lead to 8-2 in the fourth, before the Rebels added three unearned runs in the fifth on two errors. The Mountaineers had a pair of hits and a walk in the bottom of the fifth, but could not get a run across.
In the sixth, freshman right-hander Tristen Hudson gave up one hit and a walk, but held UNLV off the scoreboard.
The Mountaineers scored two in the seventh on three hits, all with two outs. Freshman pinch-hitter Connor Hamilton singled home Hudson for the inning's first run, and junior third baseman Ivan Gonzalez followed with an RBI single.
The series continues with game two of Friday's doubleheader. The series finale will take place on Sunday, April 8, at noon ET. With inclement weather expected in the Morgantown area tomorrow, Saturday's game has been moved to today as part of the doubleheader.
Tickets are available on game day at Monongalia County Ballpark. Fans with tickets to Saturday's originally-scheduled contest can exchange them for tickets to Friday's doubleheader or for another WVU home game this season. Sunday is the first Kids Day of the year, which features a new Kids Zone Presented By WVU Medicine Children's with inflatables and Mr. Twister's Balloon Art and Face Painting. Additionally, kids can run the bases after the game.
All three games will feature a free video stream, radio broadcast and live stats. Dan Zangrilli and Ernie Galusky will call the action. The free video streams are available on WVUsports.com and the WVU Gameday App. Fans can listen to the games on the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG on various affiliates throughout the state, while fans across the country can tune in to the broadcast online at WVUsports.com and on the WVU Gameday App and the TuneIn App on their mobile device. Direct links to the video streams, radio broadcasts and live stats can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com.
NOTES: West Virginia falls to 11-15 on the season and 3-2 at home … WVU leads the all-time series vs. UNLV, 4-2 … Marques Inman hit his fifth career home run and second of the season in the third inning … Inman's home run was WVU's first since March 17.
Season tickets, single game tickets and mini-packages for the 2018 season are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets at WVUGAME.com, call 1-800-WVU GAME or visit the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum. The 2018 schedule, with game times, can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com. A printable PDF and schedule breakdown also are available on WVUsports.com.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visit WVUsports.com.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: STRONG, Alan (5-0)
L: Manoah, Alek (1-5)
Batting:
2B: WOLD, Jack-Thomas 1
HR: MULLIS, Seth 1
RBI: JOHNSON, Dillon 2 ; RODRIGUEZ, Nick 1 ; AMES, Nick 3 ; SMITH, Max 1 ; ROBBINS, Grant 1 ; WOLD, Jack-Thomas 1 ; MULLIS, Seth 2
SF: AMES, Nick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: STOTT, Bryson 1 ; JOHNSON, Dillon 2 ; ISBEL, Kyle 2 ; RODRIGUEZ, Nick 1 ; ROBBINS, Grant 1 ; WOLD, Jack-Thomas 2 ; MULLIS, Seth 2
SB: STOTT, Bryson 1
HBP: JOHNSON, Dillon 1

Batting:
2B: White, Brandon 1 ; Hudson, Tristen 1
3B: Gray, Kyle 1
HR: Inman, Marques 1
RBI: Hill, Darius 1 ; Inman, Marques 1 ; Gonzalez, Ivan 1
SF: Hill, Darius 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Zarbnisky, Braden 1 ; Inman, Marques 1 ; Hamilton, Connor 1 ; Hudson, Tristen 1
SB: Zarbnisky, Braden 1
HBP: Inman, Marques 1























