MANHATTAN, Kan. — No. 21 West Virginia lost the game 8-4 to Kansas State on Saturday.
It may have lost much more if Michael Grove is unable to return.
The sophomore righthander threw only 16 pitches before exiting with an arm injury in the first inning. The school offered no postgame update regarding Grove, who owns a 3-1 record with a 2.87 ERA and a team-high 61 strikeouts.
The Mountaineers (23-14, 9-5 Big 12) were held to four runs on eight hits with two errors, while the Wildcats (20-19, 3-1) scored their eight runs on seven hits and committed three errors.
League frontrunner TCU lost 16-5 to Baylor to remain one game ahead of West Virginia.
After Grove’s untimely departure, freshman reliever Sam Kessler (0-2) allowed just two hits and two unearned runs in 4 1/3 innings with a strikeout and two walks.
Second baseman Kyle Gray led the Mountaineers with three hits and an RBI.
The Wildcats broke it open against Sam McDonald with five runs on four two-out hits in the sixth inning to make it 8-2.
WVU got a run back in the top of the seventh as Brandon White reached on an infield single, stole second and scored on Gray’s double to make it 8-3.
The Mountaineers attempted to rally in the ninth, loading the bases with two outs before pinch-hitter Isaiah Kearns reached on an error to bring in one run. Team homerun leader Jackson Cramer lined out to end the game.
“We made it a little exciting there at the end — that was supposed to happen,” joked coach Brad Hill after setting a new K-State record with 436 wins.