Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (March 10, 2023) – Despite falling behind early, the West Virginia baseball team came back to defeat Minnesota, 15-7, Friday afternoon at Wagener Field at Monongalia County Ballpark. The Mountaineers improve to 8-4 on the year while the Golden Gophers fall to 2-12.
 
"Things didn't start too great for us today," said head coach Randy Mazey. "Thank goodness we have a pretty deep bullpen and deep bench where we can move some guys around. [Robby] Porco came in and did a really good job of stopping the bleeding when it had a chance to get sideways on us."
 
Tevin Tucker went 4-for-4 on the day with two RBI and four runs scored. The redshirt-senior has now reached base safely in nine straight plate appearances over the last two games. Sophomore JJ Wetherholt added two hits, including his team-leading fifth home run of the season, and drove in four runs while junior Braden Barry and redshirt-senior Caleb McNeely also each added two hits and two runs scored.
 
On the mound, junior Ben Hampton got the start and threw 4.0 innings, allowing five runs while striking out two. Freshman Robby Porco earned the win by allowing just one unearned run in 4.0 innings of work while striking out five. Senior Jake Carr finished the game with two strikeouts in the ninth.
 
Minnesota jumped out to an early lead with a run in the first and three in the second before the Mountaineers started their comeback in the home half of the second by scoring two runs without a hit, using three walks and two run-scoring groundouts.
 
In the fourth, the Golden Gophers added a run, but WVU responded with three runs, all with two outs, in the bottom half to tie the game. Tucker got the rally started with a bunt single before coming around to score on a double by Barry. Wetherholt followed with a fly ball to left field, but the left fielder dropped it and then proceeded to make an errant throw to the infield, allowing Wetherholt to speed around the bases for a little league home run.
 
The Mountaineers took the lead in the fifth as Tucker knocked in sophomore Grant Hussey with an RBI single. Barry followed with another double before Wetherholt smacked a two-run homer to the opposite field to put WVU up 9-5.
 
West Virginia continued to pour it on in the sixth, crossing the plate five more times on a fielder's choice from freshman Logan Sauve, two RBI singles by senior Kevin Dowdell and Tucker, and finally a two-run triple from Wetherholt.
 
Freshman Nick Barone put the finishing touches on the afternoon in the eighth with a sacrifice fly in his first plate appearance as a Mountaineer.
 
The two teams will meet again tomorrow afternoon for game two of the series. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. with fifth-year senior Blaine Traxel on the mound for WVU.
 
Schedule Note
Tuesday's (3/14) game at Appalachian State has changed locations and will now be played at L.P. Frans Stadium in Hickory, North Carolina.
 
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