Bat-crazy West Virginia routs No. 18 Coastal Carolina 22-9

CONWAY, S.C. — West Virginia hit six home runs and nearly matched the school record with 29 hits during a 22-9 romp at No. 18 Coastal Carolina on Saturday.

Jackson Cramer finished 5-for-7 with six RBIs as the Mountaineers (3-2) battered the defending national champions.

“We’ve been waiting for this offense to break out, and we did it in grand fashion today,” West Virginia coach Randy Mazey said. “Everyone in the lineup swung the bat really well, and they all did it at the same time, which we’re very capable of doing. But that’s not going to happen every day. You usually count on two, three or four guys to do it, but it seemed like we were all doing it at the same time today.”

Darius Hill homered and drove in four runs on four hits for WVU, which also got homers from Cole Austin, designated hitter Marques Inman, catcher Ivan Gonzalez and shortstop Ernie Galusky.

Every Mountaineers starter had at least two hits, while seven had at least three.

West Virginia’s 29 hits is the most the Chanticleers (3-4) have given up in a single game in program history, while WVU’s six home runs is tied for the most allowed in CCU history.

The 22 runs were WVU’s most since scoring 23 at Duquesne on April 21, 2010. The 29 hits were three shy of tying the program record set in 2009 and the most ever allowed by the Chanticleers (3-4). West Virginia’s six homers were one shy of the record set in 1997.

Freshman reliever Isaiah Kearns (1-0), who allowed three runs over two innings in relief of starter Michael Grove, earned the win. He entered in the fourth inning and allowed three runs on four hits with three strikeouts.

Grove left after three innings trailing 4-3, before the Mountaineers erupted for six runs in the fourth to chase Coastal Carolina’s Andrew Beckwith (0-1). Cramer’s two-run double preceded Austin’s two-run homer.

“Five hits and six RBIs — Jackson is in the middle of the lineup to drive runs in, and the guys ahead of him are in the lineup to get on base,” Mazey said. “Everybody did what they were supposed to do today. That’s good for Jackson, he’ll put his toes in the box tomorrow feeling really comfortable.”

The Mountaineers added three runs in the fifth before Galusky homered to left-center in the sixth to make it a 13-7 lead.

West Virginia led 14-9 before blowing it wide open in the ninth with eight runs on seven hits. A three-run home run by Cramer was the big shot.

The Caravelle Resort Tournament continues with WVU facing Ball State on Sunday in Myrtle Beach. The weekend concludes with the finale at No. 18 Coastal Carolina on Monday at noon.

 





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