Early Saturday morning, West Virginia and Arizona wrapped up a 16-inning marathon, where the Mountaineers only scored four runs, dropping their second game of the season.
On Saturday afternoon, West Virginia scored seven runs in the fourth inning alone, needing only nine innings to decide an 11-3 win from Kendrick Family Ballpark in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers came into the weekend as the second-best offense in the Big 12. After not living up to the billing on Friday night, they bounced back on Saturday, as a two-run single and three-run double were the highlights of the fourth inning for WVU.
West Virginia was chasing runs early as the Wildcats scored two runs in the first two innings. They got going with two doubles within the first two batters off WVU starting pitcher Gavin Van Kempen. Arizona added another in the second, as Van Kempen gave up a walk and two hits, as the Wildcats added to their total, leading 2-0.
Arizona miscues would help spark West Virginia’s offense, as Chase Swain reached on an error, before Brodie Kresser reached after on a groundball, Arizona tried to get Swain at second, before Kresser and Swain would be safe on a fielder’s choice. Then, Sam White went to the opposite field gap, hitting a two-run double to tie the game at 2-2 in the third.
Arizona answered right back, as Tommy Splaine homered to start the fourth inning, as the Wildcats retook the lead 3-2.
Then in the bottom of the inning, Jace Rinehart returned the favor, hitting a no-doubt, 406-foot home run tying the game at 3-3.
That was just the start of the offensive avalanche for the Mountaineers as the bases were loaded for Brodie Kresser. Kresser singled up the middle scoring Skylar King and Chase Swain, before Logan Sauve walked to load the bases again for Sam White. White came through once again, hitting a three-run double to the right-center gap, scoring three more, before Kyle West plated White on a double the very next at-bat, as WVU led 9-3 after the fourth.
Van Kempen was taken out in the fourth and in came Reese Bassinger. Bassinger shut down the Arizona offense, tossing 5.1 innings, giving up one hit, and no runs, while he struck out eight, finishing the game for the Mountaineers.
Van Kempen’s day ended with him throwing 3.2 innings, giving up three runs on six hits, and striking out three.
West Virginia’s offense did not stop after the fourth, scoring two more in the seventh. Rinehart doubled before King doubled and then scored on a Grant Hussey RBI single. Every starter for the Mountaineers recorded a hit on the afternoon, as the Mountaineers combined for 14 total hits.
Arizona’s Owen Kramkowski got the start for the Wildcats, and he was hit hard after a scoreless first two innings. His day finished with him throwing 3.1 innings, giving up eight runs on eight hits, and struck out three.
White finished the day going 3-for-5 with 5 RBIs at the plate to lead WVU, while West, Rinehart, and King, all recorded a multi-hit game.
Game three of the series will be at noon on Sunday, with the winner winning the series.
----------
• Talk about it with West Virginia fans on The Blue Lot.
• SUBSCRIBE today to stay up on the latest on Mountaineer sports and recruiting.
• Get all of our WVU videos on YouTube by subscribing to the WVSports.com Channel
• Follow us on Twitter: @WVSportsDotCom, @rivalskeenan, @wesleyshoe
