West Virginia (22-19, 6-9) earned its second straight weekend series win by defeating No. 19 Texas (30-17, 12-6), 8-3, during Sunday’s series finale at Monongalia County Ballpark.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Isaiah Kearns made his seventh start of the season Sunday and pitched 6.1 innings, allowing four hits, two earned runs and struck out five batters. Offensively, freshman Tyler Doanes finished 2-for-3 and had a game-high four RBIs.
Texas wasted no time getting started and took an early 2-0 lead with a throwing error by Jimmy Galusky and then an RBI single from David Hamilton. Braden Zarbnisky then got on base with a leadoff single, but the Mountaineers were turned away after a double play and ground out by Darius Hill.
After the Longhorns stranded a runner during the top half of the second, West Virginia got runners on first and second with a ground-rule double from Marques Inman and a walk from Doanes, but both were stranded after Ivan Gonzalez popped into a double play to end the inning.
The two teams were held scoreless in the third and Kearns struck out his third batter of the afternoon to end the top of the fourth.
West Virginia then stormed back in the bottom of the fourth and took a 3-2 lead with an RBI ground out from Kyle Gray and RBI singles from Doanes and Connor Hamilton.
Both teams were retired in order in the fifth inning, but in the sixth, Gray got on base with a double down the right field line. He later advanced to third on a ground out and then scored on a wild pitch to give the Mountaineers a 4-2 lead heading into the seventh inning.
After retiring one batter, but then allowing back-to-back singles, Kearns was pulled from the game in the seventh inning and was relieved on the mound by freshman right-hander, Tristen Hudson. Hudson then surrendered an RBI single to Duke Ellis, cutting West Virginia’s lead down to one run.
Hudson then retired two straight batters to end the inning and struck out his first batter of the afternoon, but the Mountaineers would go down in order for the second straight inning.
In the top of the eighth, Hudson retired Texas in order to preserve West Virginia’s one-run lead and earned his second and third strikeouts of the afternoon. In the bottom of the inning, the Mountaineers loaded the bases with two singles and a walk and all runners were brought home with a three-run RBI triple from Doanes.
Andrew Zitel then reached first base with a bunt and fielder’s choice which then scored Doanes from third base, extending West Virginia’s lead to 8-3.
In the ninth, sophomore right-hander Alek Manoah entered the game and shut down the Longhorns, earning his second save of the year and giving the Mountaineers a critical series win.
The Mountaineers will host Maryland Tuesday at Monongalia County Ballpark at 6:30 p.m.
