GRANVILLE, W.Va. — Strong performances from four different pitchers, combined with a five-run third-inning, helped West Virginia put together one of its best performances to this point in the season Tuesday, as the Mountaineers cruised to a 7-1 victory over Morehead State at Monongalia County Ballpark.
With the win, West Virginia (6-5) is over the .500 mark for the first time since returning from an 11-day Covid-19 related pause with last weekend’s home opening series against Central Michigan.
The Mountaineers were managed by assistant Steve Sabins, who continued to fill in for Randy Mazey. Mazey has been away from the team since they returned to action last Friday after his son Weston was hospitalized following a collision with an outfield wall.
“Everybody has stepped up a ton and it’s been pretty emotional to say the least,” Sabins said. “Talking to the guys after the game, it was nice to have a less emotional game. Our guys threw strikes and got hits in big spots. We needed a boring game with a little less emotion. This is exactly what our team needed and obviously coach Mazey and his family are in our prayers.”
WVU freshman pitcher Ben Hampton helped set the tone against the Eagles by retiring the side in order each of the first three innings.
“He’s been wonderful,” Sabins said. “It’s hard to say enough good things about him. He’s a hard worker and a good student. He throws strikes. He’s extremely pleasant. He’s a classic kind of Wisconsin personality. Whenever I’m in that state, I’m amazed at how kind the people are.”
The Mountaineers then produced all the offense they’d need with two outs in the bottom of the third.
Austin Davis was hit by a pitch and got to third on a Hudson Byorick single to left. After Paul McIntosh drew a four pitch walk, Morehead State (7-8) lifted starting pitcher Will Lozinak for John Sherman with a 1-0 count on cleanup hitter Mikey Kluska.
Kluska gave a rude welcoming to Sherman, belting his first pitch to the right field corner for a bases clearing triple.
Victor Scott followed with a single to score Kluska, and after stealing second base, Scott came home on a Dominic Ragazzo single that upped the WVU lead to 5-0.
“The team we faced today was very competitive,” Scott said. “We came out with higher energy and were able to get the win.”
The Eagles produced their only run to start the fourth on a Bryce Hensor home run that narrowly cleared the left field wall.
Over the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, WVU relief pitcher Tyler Strechay limited Morehead State to two singles and struck out four.
After Tim Wynia tossed a scoreless eighth, the Mountaineers got a pair of insurance runs in the home half of the inning. Byorick and McIntosh singled to start the frame, before Byorick scored on a wild pitch and McIntosh crossed the plate on Scott’s double.
While McIntosh was one of three Mountaineers to record two hits, Sabins thought his presence as a catcher was even more important.
“He’s a 23-year-old that’s calm and confident and really manages the pitching staff,” Sabins said. “Everybody on our team looks to him. Having him back there is huge.”
Ben Abernathy retired MSU in order in the ninth to preserve WVU’s second straight win.
Byorick and Scott also had two hits, while Kluska led all players with three RBIs one game after his walk-off home run against Central Michigan.
Hampton and Strechay each struck out four, helping the Mountaineers pitching staff record 12 strikeouts to go with one base-on-balls. WVU limited the Eagles to four hits.
The Mountaineers wrap up their two-game home series with Morehead State at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
NOTE: After the win, Sabins provided an update on Mazey.
“Over the last couple days, we’ve gotten some really positive news on Weston and some really positive things we’ve been able to see,” Sabins said. “Coach Mazey addressed the team yesterday and as a father, that’s not easy to do to talk about his own son who’s in the hospital. He reasurred our team his son would be OK. The family is starting to heal slowly, but there’s still lots of unknowns and we don’t necessarily know what that means.”