West Virginia falls just short in Super Regional, ending 2024 season
It was a must-win game for West Virginia in game two of their Super Regional against No. 4 North Carolina on Saturday night from Boshamer Stadium.
West Virginia battled until the bitter end, but their season came to an end, as they lost 2-1 to North Carolina, as they fall in their first-ever Super Regional appearance.
The Mountaineers struggled to get offense going all night long, but loaded the bases in the 9th inning, before they fell just short, ending their season.
Tyler Switalski took the mound as tonight started just like how last night ended. Vance Honeycutt took the first pitch he saw from Switalski, 338 feet to left field for a leadoff home run as North Carolina led 1-0. Switalski settled in from there, retiring the next eight batters, before he faced Honeycutt with two outs in the third inning.
This time, instead of showing off his power, Honeycutt reached on a bunt single, using his speed to get on first. He then went to third on a single, before he scored on a single from Parks Harber, as UNC led 2-0.
That would be all the damage the Tar Heels could muster against Switalski through the first six innings, as he was able to keep West Virginia in the game.
Through the first five innings, WVU’s offense only got one hit, a single from Brodie Kresser. Unfortunately for WVU though, Kresser would eventually exit after jamming his hand while stealing second base. Through the first six innings, WVU hit a couple balls hard, including outs to the warning track off the bats of both JJ Wetherholt and Skylar King, but UNC starting pitcher Jason DeCaro would have a commanding presence on the mound and the Mountaineers were unable to figure him out.
Through six innings, DeCaro had walked two, given up one hit, and struck out four. Besides the damage from Honeycutt, Switalski matched DeCaro through the first six innings as both pitcher’s progressed into the late innings.
With one out, two runners would reach against Switalski in the seventh, as a one-out walk was followed by a single. That would mark the end of the line for Switalski who gave way to Carson Estridge out of the bullpen with one out and runners on first and second.
Estridge got Alex Madera to strikeout, before Colby Wilkerson was hit on an 0-2 pitch to load the bases for Honeycutt. Estridge won the battle with the game in the balance seemingly, as he got Honeycutt to strike out swinging to end the threat and strand the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the inning, WVU's offense was finally able to put something together. It started with Reed Chumley who hit a hard single. He then reached second as Spencer Barnett, who replaced Kresser, walked with two outs. It was then Kyle West who continued where he left off yesterday with an RBI single, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
DeCaro exited the game after Chumley's single, and gave the ball to Dalton Pence. Pence ended up allowing the hit to score Chumley, but struck out Ben Lumsden to end the inning, while stranding two runners.
Estridge stayed on in the eighth inning, and got two outs on 12 pitches, before he walked Harber with two outs. Harber stole second, but Estridge got Gavin Gallaher to strike out and end the threat.
WVU would threaten for a final time in the ninth, but couldn't come through. Sam White singled, before Grant Hussey, and Kyle West eventually walked to load the bases with two outs. Ben Lumsden though would hit a ground ball to the UNC first baseman, as the Tar Heels clinched a trip to the College World Series.
Saturday’s loss marked the end of the career of Randy Mazey. Mazey took WVU to heights it had never been prior. In 2017, WVU made their first-ever regional, followed by a 2019 regional hosted in Morgantown. Mazey also got the Mountaineers to the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons, as well as to their first Super Regional in program history this season. Mazey is responsible for the building of a new ballpark as well as the first Big 12 regular season title in WVU history.
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