Box Score Williamsburg, Va. – A season-high 12 runs and another strong start on the mound powered the West Virginia University baseball team to a 12-2 victory at William & Mary on Sunday afternoon at Plumeri Park.
 
The Mountaineers (12-7) claimed the series win against the Tribe (13-4) and have won seven of their last nine games. WVU's 12 runs came on 12 hits, while junior right-handed starter Kade Strowd and two relievers held W&M to two runs on three hits. West Virginia did not commit an error and William & Mary had one.
 
"(Kade) attacked the strike zone like he does and gave us a chance to have some short innings on defense and long innings on offense," WVU coach Randy Mazey said. "Our offense is starting to click a little bit right now, and the longer we can stay at bat the better off we are."
 
Strowd turned in another impressive start to improve to 2-1 on the season. He recorded his third quality start of the year and held William & Mary scoreless on just one hit in the first six innings.
 
In 7.0 innings pitched, he gave up two runs on three hits with eight strikeouts and four walks.
 
Offensively, WVU scored double-digit runs for the first time this season and had 10 or more hits for the third consecutive game and the fifth time in the last seven contests.
 
Nine Mountaineers, and all but one starter, had at least one hit, nine scored at least one run and six had one or more RBIs.
 
Sophomore second baseman Tyler Doanes led the team with three hits and had an RBI with two runs scored. Junior first baseman Kevin Brophy had a team-leading four RBIs with the help of a three-run home run, while freshman shortstop Tevin Tucker drove in three runs in the win.
 
Brophy and sophomore designated hitter Paul McIntosh both hit their team-leading fourth home runs of the season in the victory. Brophy's, which was a three-run blast in the fourth inning, was his second of the series and 10th of his career. McIntosh's home run was a solo shot in the eighth inning.
 
For the fifth time in its last six games, West Virginia took the lead in the first inning. Doanes led off the game with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior right fielder Darius Hill.
 
That gave the Mountaineers a 1-0 lead, which they extended to 3-0 in the second inning on a two-run suicide squeeze. McIntosh reached on a fielding error and advanced to second to lead off the inning, and took third on a sacrifice bunt by junior left fielder TJ Lake. Junior center fielder Brandon White then walked and stole second to put two in scoring position for Tucker. With two strikes and the runners going on the pitch, Tucker laid down a perfect bunt, which allowed McIntosh to score from third and White to score from second as the throw went to first on the suicide squeeze.
 
Meanwhile, Strowd walked one in the first and allowed a single in the second, but followed it up with a perfect third inning and two strikeouts in the fourth after a leadoff walk.
 
West Virginia doubled its lead in the fifth inning, on Brophy's three-run home run to right-center to make it 6-0. The long ball with two outs scored senior catcher Ivan Gonzalez, who doubled, and Hill, who walked.
 
Strowd added another two strikeouts in the bottom of the fifth and one more in a 1-2-3 sixth inning.
 
The Tribe cut into WVU's lead with a pair of runs on two hits in the seventh inning. With runners on second and third and two outs, a triple to left-center scored both runs.
 
However, the Mountaineers answered right back with six runs in the top of the eighth to extend their lead to 12-2. McIntosh got the scoring going with his solo home run, and White followed with an RBI triple to score Lake, who doubled. Tucker then doubled home White, and Doanes doubled home Tucker. Freshman pinch hitter Phillip Dull then reached on an infield single for his first career hit, and a walk to Hill loaded the bases. A balk brought home another run, and a bases-loaded walk to Brophy scored Dull for the final run of the inning.
 
Junior right-hander Dillon Meadows relieved Strowd to start the eighth and pitched a perfect frame. Sophomore right-hander Tristen Hudson struck out three in a hitless ninth inning to preserve the win.
 
WVU returns home to host Youngstown State on Tuesday, March 19, at 3 p.m. ET, at Monongalia County Ballpark. Tickets are available at WVUGAME.com, by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, at the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum or on game day at Monongalia County Ballpark. Admission for WVU students is free with a valid student I.D.
 
Notes: West Virginia improves to 12-7 on the season and has won seven of its last nine games … The Mountaineers scored first for the 14th time in 19 games this season and scored in the first inning for the eighth time … Kade Strowd improved to 2-1 on the season with his third quality start of the season … In 7.0 innings, he allowed two runs on three hits with eight strikeouts and four walks … Kevin Brophy launched his team-leading fourth home run of the season in the fifth inning … It was Brophy's second homer of the weekend and 10th of his career … Paul McIntosh added his team-high-tying fourth home run of the season in the eighth inning … Phillip Dull reached on an infield single in the eighth inning for his first career hit.
 
Single game tickets, season tickets and mini-packages for the 2019 season are on sale now. Fans can join the excitement of WVU baseball and support the Mountaineers by purchasing tickets at WVUGAME.com, calling 1-800-WVU GAME or visiting the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum.
 
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