STILLWATER, Okla. – The West Virginia University baseball team opened Big 12 play on Sunday with an 8-6 victory over Oklahoma State at O'Brate Stadium. The Mountaineers improve to 16-1 overall while the Cowboys fall to 9-8.
The Mountaineer pitching staff struck out 19 batters in the game, the most since 1965 and tied for the third most in a game in program history. Sophomore
Chase Meyer earned the win with 3.2 hitless innings while striking out nine. Redshirt senior
Griffin Kirn started the game and struck out eight in 3.1 innings.
Senior
Jace Rinehart hit what proved to be the game-winning home run in the seventh. Freshman
Gavin Kelly hit his first-career home run while senior
Kyle West added a home run and three RBI.
After a scoreless first inning, the Mountaineers jumped in front in the second on an opposite-field home run from Kelly. A few batters later, West blasted a two-run home run nearly out of the stadium.
Oklahoma State got one run back in the bottom of the second before hitting two homers in the fourth to take a 4-3 lead. With the bases loaded and two outs, the Cowboys threatened for more, but freshman
Bryant Yoak came out of the pen to strike out Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year and projected first-round draft pick Nolan Schubart.
The two teams traded single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings as OSU held on to a 6-5 lead with three innings to play.
In the seventh, junior
Sam White came through against a tough lefty with a sacrifice fly to tie the game, his second RBI of the game. Rinehart then followed with the big blow, an opposite-field two-run home run to put the Mountaineers on top.
Meyer closed the game from there, retiring the final eight batters of the game, seven of which came via strikeout.
The Mountaineers will be back at home on Tuesday, March 18, against James Madison, the first of two games against the Dukes this week. First pitch from Kendrick Family Ballpark is set for 6:30 p.m.
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