Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 25-ranked West Virginia University baseball team earned a 17-3 win over Canisius on Tuesday afternoon in the 2022 home opener at Wagener Field at Monongalia County Ballpark.
 
The Mountaineers (6-2) scored in five different innings and totaled 16 hits in the victory. The squad tallied three runs in the second, one in the third, two in the fifth, five in the sixth and six in the seventh.
 
Freshman right-handed pitcher Michael Kilker earned his first career win, while Justin Guiliano took the loss for the Golden Griffins (4-5).
 
With the victory, WVU has now won 20 consecutive midweek, home games, dating back to April 3, 2017.
 
"We had intentions of using a lot of pitchers tonight to see what we could line up on the weekends, and we were able to do that," WVU coach Randy Mazey said. "We're ahead of schedule with our offense. We've never swung it this good, this early. Hopefully, that's a sign of things to come."
 
The Mountaineers' scoring began in the bottom of the second with a two-run single by sophomore infielder Mikey Kluska, before redshirt junior catcher Dayne Leonard added to the lead with an RBI single to center.
 
From there, junior outfielder Victor Scott II began a big day by hitting a sacrifice fly to left field in the third, scoring another run to bump the lead to four. But Canisius answered with three runs in the top of the fourth, tallying three consecutive extra-bases hits to cut it to 4-3.
 
In the fifth, WVU scored two more runs, upping its advantage to 6-3. First, Kluska drove in a run on a fielder's choice, while sophomore catcher McGwire Holbrook scored on a wild pitch.
 
On the mound, Kilker pitched a pair of clean innings out of the bullpen in the fifth and sixth. The Hazleton, Pennsylvania, native allowed just one hit and struck out three. He relieved fifth-year senior right-hander Zach Bravo, who struck out four while allowing three runs on four hits in 4.0 innings in the starting role.
 
The Mountaineers took control for good with a five-run sixth inning. After loading the bases, freshman infielder JJ Wetherholt smashed a three-run double to left. Moments later, Scott II sent one over the wall for a two-run homer, extending the lead to 11-3.
 
Scott II was at it again in the bottom of the seventh, smacking his second homer of the game, a grand slam to make it 15-3. The Powder Springs, Georgia, native finished 2-for-4 with seven RBI on the day.
 
Later in the inning, redshirt senior catcher Vince Ippoliti tallied a two-run single, adding to the big inning. WVU scored sixth in the frame to lead it, 17-3.
 
Along with Kilker, four other relievers were called out of the bullpen, as sophomore right-hander Ben Abernathy, junior lefty Kevin Dowdell, redshirt junior righty Daniel Ouderkirk and freshman right-hander Will Watson all worked from the seventh inning on.
 
In addition to Scott II, Wetherholt went 4-for-5 with three RBI and four runs scored. Freshman infielder Grant Hussey and Leonard also had a pair of hits, while Kluska drove in three.
 
West Virginia improved to 7-1 in home openers at the Mon, which opened in 2015. Of note, the club's 17 runs were its most since a 21-3 win over Kansas on May 4, 2018. Additionally, the Mountaineers tallied their most runs in a home opener since topping New Jersey Tech, 19-0, on March 7, 2009.
 
Next up, WVU travels to Minneapolis, Minnesota, for three games at the Cambria College Classic at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings. The Mountaineers open with tournament host Minnesota on Friday night at 8 p.m. ET.
 
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