West Virginia baseball didn't even need the full nine innings to take care of their rival Pitt in the Backyard Brawl.
The Mountaineers scored five runs in the second, before adding three more in the fourth, as they cruised to an 11-1 (8 inn.) victory over Pitt in the Backyard Brawl, earning them their 8th-straight win over the rival Panthers.
West Virginia was in trouble early, as the Panthers had the bases loaded with one out in the second. That's until, the Mountaineers got out of the jam on an inning-ending double play, as a line drive was caught by Gavin Kelly who flipped it to Brodie Kresser covering the second base bag to get out of the jam.
The Mountaineer bats responded in the bottom of the inning, but it started more so with Panther mistakes.
An error by Pitt pitcher Antonio Doganiero allowed Jace Rinehart to reach before he advanced to second on a wild pitch. He then came around to score on an RBI single from Kelly. The bases would ultimately be loaded before two more scored on a pair of bases-loaded walks, while Logan Sauve drove in two more on a single, putting the Mountaineers ahead 5-0 after the second.
David Hagen got the start for WVU, tossing two scoreless innings before Robby Porco followed him in the third. The first three batters Porco faced reached on two walks and a hit-by-pitch, as Porco was pulled for Ben Hudson. Hudson got a strikeout and another inning-ending double play ball, as he would then settle into the game on the mound for the Mountaineers.
Hudson gave up one run in the fourth, as Pitt brought home a run on a hit-by-pitch. Other than that, he was just what West Virginia needed, going 5.0 innings, giving up one run on two hits, while he struck out four.
WVU added three more on the duo of Rinehart and Kelly in the fourth, as Rinehart doubled to plate one, and Kelly singled to plate two more, putting WVU in front 8-1.
WVU scored another in the fifth, seventh, and eighth innings, as a Grant Hussey sac-fly ended the game in the eighth.
West Virginia has now won four games in a row, and they are set to welcome Utah this weekend.
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