Mountaineers Claim Series Against No. 19 OU

Sunday, March 31

Morgantown, W.Va.

1:00 p.m.

West Virginia University

16-11, 0

Oklahoma

22-7, 0

Oklahoma

West Virginia

Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks

March 31, 2019 06:15 PM | Baseball

Box Score Highlights Photo Gallery Randy Mazey Postgame Marques Inman Postgame Kade Strowd Postgame Box Score Season Stats

By: Charlie Healy

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team won the series against No. 19 Oklahoma with a 5-1 victory on Sunday afternoon at Monongalia County Ballpark.

The Mountaineers (16-11, 2-4 Big 12) jumped out to an early lead for the second consecutive day to defeat the Sooners (22-7, 4-2 Big 12) and secure their first Big 12 and top-25 series win of the season.

With the win, coach Randy Mazey becomes the 4th-winningest coach in program history, with his 205th victory. Mazey, who is 205-165 in seven seasons at WVU, passes Ira Errett Rodgers, who was 204-209-4 from 1921-42 and 1946.

West Virginia scored one in the first and made it a 3-1 game in the third. After Oklahoma scored its run in the top of the fourth, WVU answered with the game's final two runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Both teams had five hits in the game and committed one error. The Mountaineers stranded five runners on base and Oklahoma left 13 on.

"Talking to (the team) going into this weekend, we're down 0-3 (in the Big 12) after we lost three games at Baylor," Mazey said. "After Friday, we were down 0-4. After yesterday, we're 1-4, we're creeping back into it. Going into today, they knew what I was going to say, they laughed at me saying we're down 2-4 now. Next weekend, we have a tough road weekend (at Oklahoma State). Complacency can kill you. You can't feel too good about where you're at, ever. It just can't sneak up on you. Pitt's up there right now, scoring tons of runs against the Miami Hurricanes. So, you know they're going to have a ton of confidence. We're not going to get complacent at all. We're just going to come out and try to win every game, one at a time."

Junior right-handed starter Kade Strowd allowed one run on three hits in 5.0 innings to improve to 3-2 on the season. He struck out seven and walked eight. Freshman righty Ryan Bergert followed with 2.2 two-hit innings with three strikeouts and a walk, while junior right-hander Sam Kessler faced the minimum in the final 1.1 innings to collect his fourth save of the season.

Junior first baseman Marques Inman provided the offense, with a two-run home run in the third inning and three total RBIs in the win. The homer was Inman's fifth of the season and 14th of his career.

Strowd walked four batters in the first inning, but managed to escape without allowing a run to score. West Virginia responded with a run in the bottom half of the first to take a 1-0 lead. Sophomore second baseman Tyler Doanes led off the inning with a walk and scored from second on a fielder's choice by Inman, with the help of a throwing error.

Oklahoma stranded two more in the second and one in the third before Inman's home run made it 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning. Senior right fielder Darius Hill led off the frame with a single, and Inman launched a two-run shot over the left-field fence to extend WVU's lead.

The Sooners got on the board in the fourth, on a one-out groundout that came after a leadoff walk.

The Mountaineers came right back though with two in the bottom of the inning to extend their lead to 5-1. Freshman shortstop Tevin Tucker walked, and freshman left fielder Austin Davis singled up the middle to advance Tucker to third. A sacrifice fly by Doanes scored Tucker, and Davis stole second and took third on an infield single. Hill then drove in Davis with a groundout.

Strowd gave up a one-out double and two-out walk in the fifth, but escaped the jam with his seventh strikeout to leave runners on first and third.

Bergert tossed a scoreless sixth, though a two-out walk and a fielding error allowed two to reach. He then stranded one in the seventh and got the first two outs in the eighth. A leadoff double followed, and Kessler relieved him to get a flyout to end the inning.

Kessler retired the Sooners in order in the ninth to secure the win, the only time all game the visitors did not put a runner on base.

The Mountaineers begin the month of April at home with the Backyard Brawl against Pitt, on Wednesday, April 3, at 6:30 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. The rivalry matchup is a Dollar Day, with tickets and select concession items available for just $1, and fans also can play Baseball Bingo.

Notes: West Virginia improved to 16-11 on the season, 8-1 at home and 2-4 in Big 12 play … WVU is 3-3 against top-25 teams and 8-7 against teams that made the 2018 NCAA Tournament … The Mountaineers are 15-5 when scoring first and 9-5 when scoring in the first inning … Coach Randy Mazey has become the 4th-winningest coach in program history, with his 205th victory … Mazey, who is 205-165 in seven seasons at WVU, passes Ira Errett Rodgers, who was 204-209-4 from 1921-42, 1946 … Kade Strowd earned the win and improves to 3-2 in 2019 … In 5.0 innings, he allowed a run on three hits with seven strikeouts and eight walks … Sam Kessler collected his fourth save of the season and retired all four batters he faced … Marques Inman hit his 5th home run of the season and 14th of his career in the third inning … Inman led the team with three RBIs.

Single game 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.

For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.