West Virginia is within a victory of advancing to the Super Regional round for the second time in program history and a second time in as many seasons.
After squandering a four-run lead Saturday in a winner’s bracket matchup at Clemson, the Mountaineers got even with a run in the eighth and pushed four across in the ninth to earn a 9-6 heart-stopping victory over the host Tigers at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
The first opportunity for the Mountaineers (43-14) to win the Clemson Regional comes at 6 p.m. Sunday against the winner of a noon matchup between the Tigers (45-17) and Kentucky (30-25).
Clemson overcame a 4-0 deficit in the sixth when it got to WVU starting pitcher Jack Kartsonas for the first time, a frame that included Cam Cannarella’s two-run home run.
Carson Estridge came on for Kartsonas but his late season struggles continued. Estridge hit and walked a batter before being pulled in favor of Reese Bassinger. CU managed two more runs in the inning on a Jack Crighton double and Jacob Jarrell sacrifice fly.
Cannarella’s double that followed an Andrew Ciufo triple in the seventh enabled Clemson to take its first at 5-4, and it proved to be a short-lived advantage.
After two outs to start the top of the eighth, Brodie Kresser singled, leading to a pitching change for Clemson. The Tigers brought in closer Lucas Mahlstedt, who was immediately greeted by an Armani Guzman run-scoring double that tied the game at 5.
WVU relief pitcher Chase Meyer, who recorded the final out of the seventh, worked a scoreless eighth to set the stage for the Mountaineers to regain the lead.
After Mahlstedt recorded two outs to start the ninth, Grant Hussey, who has been utilized off the bench in both regional games thus far, worked a walk to start a stretch of seven straight batters reaching base. Sam White then belted a double to the gap in right-center that allowed pinch-runner Jorge Valdes to score.
Ben Lumsden added a run-scoring single to make it 7-5, and after Mahlstedt was replaced by Joe Allen, both Guzman and Skylar King were hit by a pitch to force runs in and up the visitors’ lead to four.
That proved especially pivotal when Meyer lost his rhythm after recording the first two outs in the ninth.
Cannarella singled, Jarren Purify worked a walk and Dominic Listi was hit by a pitch to bring the tying run to the plate for the Tigers. Collin Priest then worked the second walk of the inning to force in Clemson’s sixth run, and after Meyer fell behind Crighton 2-0, WVU head coach Steve Sabins called on Ben McDougal.
The left-handed Bridgeport native struck out Crighton on a full count pitch to seal the victory.
🗣️ BALLGAME.@Ben_McDougal14 pic.twitter.com/PDTH9jXpnh
— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) June 1, 2025
WVU played from in front for much of the matchup after four of its first five batters reached base in a three-run first inning that included Jace Rinehart’s run-scoring double and White’s run-scoring single.
Kartsonas retired each of the first nine Clemson batters he faced and the Mountaineers gained a 4-0 lead in the fifth on Logan Sauve’s run-scoring single, though WVU failed to add to its lead that inning after having the bases loaded with one out.
Kartsonas allowed two runs and struck out seven while issuing one walk over 5 1/3 innings.
Meyer recorded the win with a quality effort over 2 1/3 innings.
Kresser led WVU’s 15-hit attack by going 4-for-5. White added three hits, while Sauve and Guzman had two apiece.
Cannarella led Clemson and accounted for half of the team’s hit total by going 4-for-5.
Tigers’ ace Aidan Knaak got the start and allowed four runs on eight hits over six innings. He struck out four and did not issue a base-on-balls.
Four Clemson relievers combined to allow five runs on seven hits in three frames.
WVU improved to 5-0 in the regional round the last two seasons and 6-2 over the last three years.