Sam White flung his bat and turned towards the first base dugout, jumping with enthusiasm while not paying attention to the ball that was soaring over the right field fence.
White's solo blast in the 10th inning helped lift the Mountaineers to a 5-4 win over Lipscomb on Monday, sweeping the four-game series and extending WVU's hot start to 7-0 on the young season.
Lipscomb first got on the board in the second inning, as a hit by pitch followed by a home run from Damion Kenealy, putting the Bisons in front 2-0.
The Mountaineers turned to freshman David Hagen on the mound and he would have a short leash, being pulled after finishing the second inning.
The Mountaineers answered back in the fourth inning as a walk came back to hurt the Bison. Sam White was the Mountaineer who drew the walk to start the inning, and he would move to third on a single, before Gavin Kelly drove him in on a sacrifice-fly, to cut the deficit to 2-1.
West Virginia's bullpen continued the success from their doubleheader on Sunday in the middle innings. Tyler Hutson and Luke Lyman combined to pitch four innings, giving up no runs on two hits while keeping the Mountaineers within striking distance on offense.
That offense would then strike in the sixth inning, scoring three runs.
White and Kyle West both singled to start the inning, before Jace Rinehart was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Kelly would then hit a ball to the Lipscomb shortstop, but he could not handle it as it went into the outfield and allowed both White and West to score.
The Mountaineers then added one more run, as Ben Lumsden grounded into a double play but it helped plate another run and give West Virginia a 4-2 lead.
The Bisons answered back with two runs in the seventh inning. They loaded the bases with one out off of Bryant Yoak, before Jack Kartsonas came into the game to try and get out of the jam. He would be unable to do so, as a fielder's choice and a single tied the game at 4-4 heading into the eighth inning.
Neither team would record a hit in the eighth or the ninth as the game went to extra innings, WVU's first extra-inning game of the season.
It took just two batters for the Mountaineers to score as White connected on the first pitch he saw of the at-bat. White finished the game going 2-for-3 while leading WVU in hits.
Reese Bassinger followed Kartsonas out of the bullpen and gave the Mountaineers just what they needed. He threw the final 3.0 innings for the Mountaineers, allowing no hits and one walk, helping to close out the win. Bassinger (1-0) was credited with his first win of the season.
Kaleb Kantola (0-1) was given the loss as threw 2.0 innings, giving up one hit, but it was the home run from White.
Up next, West Virginia returns home to face Ohio for their home opener on Wednesday.
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