Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va.– The West Virginia baseball team opened its home slate on Wednesday against Canisius, taking down the Golden Griffins for the second time in five days, winning by a score of 8-1. The Mountaineers improve to 7-4 on the season while Canisius falls to 2-6.
 
Sophomore JJ Wetherholt and junior Braden Barry each had three hits, a home run, and three RBI in the game. Redshirt-senior Caleb McNeely also added two hits and an RBI.
 
Freshman Gavin Van Kempen got the start on the mound and after surrendering a leadoff home run, settled down and threw 5.1 innings with eight strikeouts, no walks  and just that one run allowed. Aidan Major, Maxx Yehl, Chris Sleeper, and Jake Carr finished the game with 4.2 scoreless innings of relief.
 
"Gavin was really good today," said head coach Randy Mazey. "We needed to get him out there, get experience and he went out there and controlled himself and the game. Solo homers early don't beat you and since we won, I am almost glad he gave up that homer, it may have woken us up early and I'm glad we responded right away."
 
After Canisius jumped out to the lead, Wetherholt answered in the home half, hitting a two-run home run, his team-leading fourth of the season.
 
After a couple of scoreless innings, Wetherholt tacked on a third run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly before Barry blew the game open in the sixth with a three-run home run. Before the inning was over, McNeely added another run with a single.
 
The Mountaineers put the finishing touches on the game in the eighth as Wetherholt and redshirt-senior Dayne Leonard hit back-to-back ground-rule doubles.
 
West Virginia will remain at home this weekend to face Minnesota for a three-game series. First pitch on Friday is set for 3 p.m.
 
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