JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Kevin Brophy homered for No. 22 West Virginia’s only hit as Jacksonville claimed the series clincher 2-1 on Sunday.
Brophy’s second-inning shot to right field was the only moment of vulnerability for Dolphins starter Mike Cassala (1-0), who struck out five over six innings. After his one-out walk to Brandon White in the third, Cassala and reliever Chris Mauloni combined to retire the final 20 Mountaineers batters.
“They did a real good job of changing speeds and keeping the hitters off balance,” said Jacksonville coach Chris Hayes. “You can’t say enough about Mike Cassala and Chris Mauloni. They are the reason we are standing here with a victory.”
In relief of Isaiah Kearns, who lasted only 2 2/3 innings, WVU right-hander Kade Strowd (0-1) was mostly effective. But he yielded three hits in the fifth inning, including Chris Gau’s go-ahead two-out single.
The sophomore Kearns fanned four while allowing six hits. One of those, a two-out single by Chris Lehane, tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second.
Beginning its season with 15 consecutive road games, West Virginia visits Conway, S.C., next weekend for four games against VCU, Illinois and Coastal Carolina.