Grove holds Sooners at bay during West Virginia’s rally

NORMAN, Okla. – Ray Guerrini put West Virginia in front with a fifth-inning homer and Cole Austin tacked on a grand slam as the Mountaineers won 12-7 to nix Oklahoma’s designs on a weekend sweep.

West Virginia (20-18, 6-8 Big 12) climbed into fifth place in the league standings, a half-game ahead of the Sooners (20-20-1, 6-9 Big 12), who struck for seven runs against BJ Myers in the first inning but generated nothing else.

Braden Zarbnisky is forced out at second base before West Virginia rallied for a 12-7 win at Oklahoma on Sunday.

WVU reliever Michael Grove (1-2) struck out 13 over the final 8 1/3 innings while scattering four hits and two walks.

“This one goes to Michael Grove for sure,” Mountaineers coach Randy Mazey said. “After a seven-spot, to come in and strike out 13 in the last eight innings, who knew? That’s a premium Big 12 pitcher right there.”

Down 7-2 after the first inning, West Virginia chipped away with a run in the second and two in the fourth before retaking the lead on Guerrini’s two-out shot to straightaway center. It was the catcher’s fourth homer of the season and came against reliever Keaton Hernandez (0-2), who allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings.

“Ray has relished the role of leader on this team,” Mazey said. “He’s settled down some, he’s not as erratic at the plate, he’s not over-swinging. He’s turning into a nice mature hitter, and it’s starting to show.”

Kyle Gray’s single and two walks preceded Austin’s slam in the seventh off Austin Hansen.

No. 9 hitter Jimmy Galuski was 3-for-5, combining with Guerrini and Gray as WVU’s bottom of the order finished 7-for-14 with six runs.

Grove’s stellar pitching overcame a disastrous start by Myers, who allowed a three-run homer by Oklahoma freshman catcher Domenic DeRenzo and a two-run double by Steele Walker in the first inning. Myers threw 29 pitches and faced only nine batters, allowing seven earned runs on six hits and a walk, as his ERA jumped from 3.12 to 4.27





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