West Virginia's pitching staff was ambushed in the ninth inning on Saturday, as Kennesaw State scored six runs on just two swings of the bat, as they handed WVU a 13-9 loss, the Mountaineers' first loss of the season.
Kennesaw State got off to a hot start in the first, as they scored two off WVU starter Gavin Van Kempen. The first two batters of the game singled, and then a failed pickoff from Van Kempen advanced them to second and third. Donovan Cash then doubled to plate both and give KSU a 2-0 lead.
West Virginia's first answer came in the bottom of the first as Logan Sauve hit his first home run of the season, a solo blast to left field, cutting the deficit to one.
Van Kempen would not continue to escape trouble. After a perfect second inning, the third inning would be his last. Van Kempen got two quick outs, but Kennesaw State made the most of their inning.
A single, double, single, scored two more runs for the Owls as they took a 4-1 lead, ending the afternoon for Van Kempen.
Van Kempen threw 70 pitches across 3.0 innings of work, striking out four, while he allowed three earned runs on six hits, walking two.
West Virginia's offense answered back in a big way in the third, scoring five runs.
It started with Grant Hussey and Armani Guzman singling, before Brodie Kresser walked on four pitches to load the bases. Kennesaw State would make a pitching change, but it was the same result for the Owls as Logan Sauve worked a walk, to score a run for WVU.
Two pitches later, the game would be tied as Sam White singled to score two more, knotting the game at 4-4. WVU scored two more on an RBI groundout from Jace Rinehart before a sacrifice-fly from Skylar King, put the Mountaineers ahead 6-4 to end the third.
After Van Kempen, it would be Chase Meyer who WVU turned to on the mound, and his day started with lots of trouble. Meyer walked the first two batters he faced both on full counts. He then loaded the bases on a bunt single, before he would be taken out for Carson Estridge. Esridge got a double play, trading two outs for a run, and then a single added another for the Owls as they tied the game at 6-6.
WVU took the lead at 7-6 after another RBI groundout from Rinehart, before the Owls tied the game after a double and single to start the sixth.
It was an unfortunate scenario which helped WVU tie the game in the seventh, as Kresser was hit in the face by a pitch to start the inning. Sauve then doubled, before White scored one more on a sac-fly, and then Rinehart scored another on another ground ball.
WVU took a 9-7 lead into the final two innings as they gave the ball to Jack Kartsonas. Kartsonas threw a total of 2.2 innings, but he did not have any issues until the ninth.
After an error from White at second put a runner on first, Kennesaw State took advantage on the very next pitch. Cam Suto crushed a two-run home run to left field, and the Owls weren't done there. After two outs in a row, it was an infield single which continued the inning for KSU.
The bases were loaded after a hit by pitch and an intentional walk, a decision that came back to haunt the Mountaineers. Reese Bassinger delivered just one pitch to Cash, who clobbered a grand slam, putting Kennesaw State in front 13-9.
WVU's offense would only get one runner on base in the bottom of the inning, as the Owls hand WVU their first loss of the season.
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