PITTSBURGH – Sophomore catcher Ray Guerrini banged a three-run homer through a gusting wind and later added a suicide squeeze bunt, accounting for all of West Virginia’s offense in a 4-1 victory at Pitt on Tuesday night.
Guerrini’s snap throw also picked off the runner at third base in the fifth inning, erasing a bases-loaded threat as West Virginia (16-10) won its seventh consecutive game.
“(Guerrini) had a three-run homer, that’s my favorite play,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “Then he goes with the squeeze bunt, that’s my second favorite play. Then he picks a guy off third base with the bases loaded and two outs, and that’s my favorite defensive play. He did everything that he needed to do today.”
Pitt (11-16) scored one run on seven hits but stranded 12 baserunners.
“It’s just a matter of getting a hit at the opportune time,” said Pitt coach Joe Jordano. “We’ve had that issue here the last couple weeks and we need to fix it. Against good teams like West Virginia you can’t miss those opportunities.”
Jeff Hardy (1-0) struck out six batters during five innings of middle relief for West Virginia. He followed starter Shane Ennis, who threw two scoreless innings before leaving on a pitch count, and Jordan Sergent, who handled the third.
“Hardy went out there and was just attacking the strike zone. That’s the best he has thrown since he’s been a Mountaineer and it couldn’t have come at a better time than up here at Pitt,” Mazey said. “That’s super encouraging for the rest of the season because the last three weeks we have been waiting for a guy to come out of the bullpen and step up and do something like that.”
Pitt starter Sam Mersing (2-1) no-hit the Mountaineers the first time through the order before Justin Fox and Kyle Davis led off the fourth with back-to-back singles. After consecutive strikeouts, Guerrini touched up Mersing for a three-run homer to left, his third of the season.
“The difference in this game was one pitch,” Jordano said. “Their kid hit an 0-1 breaking ball for a three-run homer and that was the difference.”
Guerrini’s squeeze made it 4-1 in the top of the sixth, scoring Davis from third. Brad Johnson, breaking from second base on the pitch, was thrown out at home on the play.
Mersing was charged with four runs on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks in five innings.
Davis finished with two hits, his 13th multi-hit game of the season, as the Mountaineers improved to No. 30 in the RPI.
West Virginia, which sits seventh in the Big 12 standings at 2-4, will travel to Kansas State for its third straight league road series Thursday through Saturday. The Wildcats (12-14, 1-5) are in last place in the conference.