For the second time in as many games, West Virginia's offense scored at least 16 runs, and they scored at least 11 for the fourth consecutive game as the Mountaineers beat Kennesaw State 16-2 to open their three-game series on Friday afternoon.
It was just the second time this season West Virginia had played at Kendrick Family Ballpark in Morgantown, and after a slower start, things picked up, before a nine-run seventh inning put the stamp on the series opening win for West Virginia.
The Mountaineers got on the board in the second inning on a Chase Swain RBI single, to open the scoring for either team. Kennesaw State answered back in the top of the third with a run, before WVU added three in the bottom of the inning. Sam White doubled to score one and then Jace Rinehart hit his second home run of the season just out of the reach of the Owls center fielder, as WVU led 4-1.
Grant Hussey's infield single plated another and then Swain scored on a sacrifice-fly from White as well as the Mountaineers added to their lead in the fourth, allowing Griffin Kirn to settle into things.
Kirn (3-0) posted another strong start, tossing 93 pitches across 5.1 innings. He allowed two runs on four hits, walked four, and struck out six on the afternoon.
Reese Bassinger followed Kirn in the sixth inning, as Kirn allowed a single and a bunt, around an out. Bassinger hit the first batter he faced before he got a strikeout and a fly out to end the frame with WVU leading 6-2.
Things stayed close for just one more inning as it was a breakout inning for West Virginia. The Mountaineers totaled eight hits in the seventh, as White and Rinehart both got hits to start the inning. Ellis Garcia then came off the bench and delivered an RBI single, before Skylar King's single scored two more. Hussey scored another on a fielder's choice, before Brodie Kresser, Logan Sauve, and White all reached on consecutive hits, and all delivering RBIs in the process.
WVU in total scored nine runs on eight hits and an error in the seventh, increasing their lead to 15-2. The Mountaineers added one more for good measure in the eighth as Kresser scored King on a fly out.
White and King each had four hits on the day, with White going 4-for-4 with three RBIs and two doubles and four runs scored. King went 4-for-5 with two RBIs, and four runs scored as well.
After Bassinger's 1.2 innings pitched, WVU used three more arms to close the remainder of the game, as no one besides Kirn allowed a hit on the afternoon.
The Owls used only five pitchers, and all allowed at least one run and one hit.
WVU improves to 13-0 on the season, continuing their historic start to the 2025 campaign. WVU is back in action in game two of the series on Saturday with first pitch set for 2:00 p.m. from Kendrick Family Ballpark.
----------
• 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
