West Virginia University
9-3
Columbia
2-6
Kresser’s Walk-Off Grand Slam Evens Series Against Columbia
March 07, 2026 06:23 PM | Baseball
It was Kresser's first home run of the season and the first walk-off home run for a Mountaineer since Reed Chumley against UCF in 2024.
Sophomore Gavin Kelly finished the day with three hits, including a double and a triple, and two runs scored. Graduate student Sean Smith also collected three hits on the afternoon.
On the mound, sophomore Chansen Cole threw 5.0 innings and allowed three runs while striking out three. Freshman David Perez earned the win with 2.1 scoreless innings, striking out a pair.
The Mountaineers took the lead in the fourth inning on a single by junior Armani Guzman. A first-and-third double steal executed by Guzman and Smith brought home a second run in the inning. WVU added another run in the fifth on an error.
Columbia responded in the sixth inning with four runs to take the lead before the Mountaineers answered back in the seventh inning on an error and a single by senior Brock Wills.
In the eighth, the Lions tied it back up with an RBI double, but a relay from left fielder Matthew Graveline to shortstop Matt Ineich to catcher Gavin Kelly cut down the go-ahead run and keep the game tied.
Graveline made the defensive play of the game in the ninth as he robbed a home run off the bat of Owen Estabrook, extending above the left field fence and pulling back the go-ahead runs.
In the bottom of the tenth, West Virginia loaded the bases with two outs on an infield single, hit-by-pitch, and walk before Kresser deposited the game-winner into the Columbia bullpen in left field.
The two teams will meet on Sunday for the rubber game of the series with first pitch set for 12:30 p.m.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Perez, David (1-1)
L: Kleinhans, Evan (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Fellows, Cole 1 ; Brewer, Jackson 1
RBI: Fellows, Cole 1 ; Brewer, Jackson 2 ; Fishel, Ben 1 ; Slabaugh, Charlie 1
SF: Slabaugh, Charlie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fellows, Cole 1 ; Estabrook, Owen 1 ; Fishel, Ben 1 ; Snyder, Hunter 1 ; Kail, Jack 1
HBP: Snyder, Hunter 1
Batting:
2B: Kelly, Gavin 1
3B: Kelly, Gavin 1
HR: Kresser, Brodie 1
RBI: Graveline, Matthew 1 ; Guzman, Armani 1 ; Kresser, Brodie 4 ; Wills, Brock 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Graveline, Matthew 2 ; Kelly, Gavin 2 ; Schoenfeld, Paul 2 ; Smith, Sean 1 ; Kresser, Brodie 1 ; Wills, Brock 1
SB: Guzman, Armani 1 ; Schoenfeld, Paul 1 ; Smith, Sean 1
CS: Ineich, Matt 1
HBP: Kelly, Gavin 1 ; Wills, Brock 1
