JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Left-hander Jackson Wolf picked up where West Virginia baseball left off on Friday nights last season, giving the Mountaineers a stellar start in their season-opening 3-0 win at Jacksonville University.
Wolf allowed one hit in 7 shutout innings, while senior Brandon Zarbinsky contributed with both his bat and his arm in his return to the lineup after missing last season with an injury. Zarbinsky knocked in a two-run single, then moved from the outfield to the mound for the final two outs to record the save.
Wolf retired 18 consecutive Dolphins in his dominant start.
“Jackson showed a level of toughness that I haven’t seen out of him, going out there and answering every time they got some momentum because we didn’t score when we had guys in scoring position,” said WVU coach Randy Mazey. “He proceeded to go 1-2-3 in the following inning. If he pitches like that every time out, we’re going to win a lot of games with him on the mound.”
Wolf had eight strikeouts and no walks.
Zarbnisky, meanwhile, went 2-for-5 at the plate and got WVU on the board with a two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning. Later, he put the finishing touches on the win by coming on in the ninth to work his way out of a two-on, one-out jam.
The Mountaineers (1-0) finished with three runs on seven hits, while JU (0-1) had no runs on three hits. Both teams committed one error.
The two teams meet for the second of the two squads’ season-opening three-game series on Saturday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
Ryan Bergert will make the start for West Virginia.