GRANVILLE, W.Va. – One of these days, West Virginia’s bats will come to life before the sixth inning and make coach Randy Mazey a decidedly less nervous man.
“It’s nice to know the sixth-through-ninth innings are where we get most of our runs,” Mazey said. “But it certainly doesn’t help my stress level sitting there waiting and waiting. There’s been several games where we get into the sixth with a hit or two. You wonder why it takes so long. But good hitters need to see pitches.”
Stressed or not, he’ll happily take what he’s getting out of the Mountaineers at the moment.
For the third straight game, West Virginia put up a crooked number in the sixth on Sunday afternoon at Monongalia County Ballpark. And for the third straight game, the Mountaineers walked away winners, beating Kent State 9-7 to sweep their first home series of 2019.
“This was a regional team from last year and has played in the College World Series in the last seven years,” Mazey said of the Golden Flashes. “It’s a great program. For us to win three against a team that will probably win their league is a big confidence boost to us.”
West Virginia trailed 5-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth before exploding for five runs on only two hits. Junior Kevin Brophy put the Mountaineers (9-5) back in front with a three-run blast to the batting cages over the wall in right-center.
Brophy’s line-drive screamer actually cut the opposite direction of a 15 mph-wind that made it a hitter-friendly day for anyone hitting the ball down the left-field line. The Mountaineers and Golden Flashes combined for five home runs, including a pair from Kent State (4-10) right fielder Nick Elsen.
“It wasn’t the easiest conditions for pitchers,” Mazey said.
Brophy’s blast was followed by back-to-back walks and stolen bases, setting the stage for Tyler Doanes to drive in an insurance run with an infield single. Brandon White’s sac fly to center capped off the Mountaineer rally.
“We knew going into the season we would hit, but it took a while to get it together. Being at home helps,” Brophy said. “When we start clicking on all cylinders, we’re going to be dangerous. It’s a grind to get into the lineup every day. We have such great hitters in our lineup, and you’re not going to get three times through without getting touched up a little bit.”
Doanes set the table for West Virginia’s offense from the leadoff spot, going 3-for-4 with 3 RBI and a walk. He finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.
As the lone starter currently batting better than .300, Doanes has been in a groove all season. But he senses everyone in the lineup is starting to feel that way after last Sunday’s 2-0 win at defending national champion Oregon State. The Mountaineers have won four straight after topping the No. 3 Beavers.
“We took from that that we can play with and beat anyone,” Doanes said. “We’re looking to play in a regional, super regional and hopefully to a College World Series.”
Reliever Ryan Bergert (1-0) was the beneficiary of West Virginia’s offensive explosion, picking up the win after allowing a pair of runners inherited from starter Kade Strowd to score in the top of the sixth. Elsen also hit a two-run homer off of Bergert in the seventh to slice West Virginia’s lead in half.
Sam Kessler worked around a pair of ninth-inning singles to earn his third save.