Kearns helps WVU to walk off victory

By rscaife
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Updated: March 17, 2018

WVU Walks Off in Home Opener, Again

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (March 16, 2018) – Sophomore left fielder Isaiah Kearns singled home the game-winning run in the ninth inning as the West Virginia University baseball team walked off against Canisius, 10-9, in the team’s home opener at Monongalia County Ballpark on Friday afternoon.

In his first at-bat after entering the game as a defensive replacement, Kearns recorded his first hit of the season on a 3-2 pitch with two outs. The single through the left side scored junior shortstop Jimmy Galusky, who was hit by a pitch with two outs.

The Mountaineers (8-8) improve to 4-0 in home openers at Monongalia County Ballpark. Three of the four openers have been walk-off wins, while all four have been one- or two-run games.

“We finally get to play at home, that’s why you play at home,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “You get that extra at-bat in the bottom of the inning, and it just gives you confidence when you come into the bottom of the ninth, the score’s tied and you know that you can swing freely and do some things. That’s why we love playing at home, for walk-offs.

The Golden Griffins (10-5) scored at least one run in each of the first four innings before being held to one run in the final five innings. WVU scored four in the first and two in the second, but trailed 8-6 in the fourth. Kearns’ walk-off hit came after sophomore center fielder Brandon White hit his first career home run in the seventh inning, a three-run shot that gave WVU a 9-8 lead. CC followed with an eighth-inning home run before WVU’s ninth-inning walk-off.

“We needed something good to happen. Regardless of how the game was played, it wasn’t a pretty game by any stretch of the imagination, but when you’re in a little bit of a funk, you just need good things to happen, and winning in walk-off fashion is a good thing. It’ll give us confidence for tomorrow.”

Senior right-hander Shane Ennis earned the win and improved to a team-best 3-1. He pitched the final 1.1 innings and did not allow a hit or run with two strikeouts and a walk.

Along with White’s home run and career-high three RBIs, junior third baseman Andrew Zitel led the team with two hits, including his first home run of the season, and two RBIs. Junior catcher Ivan Gonzalez had two hits and an RBI and sophomore first baseman Marques Inman had a hit and a pair of RBIs.

Canisius scored one unearned run in the first inning off senior right-handed starter BJ Myers, but the Mountaineers answered right back with four runs in the bottom of the first to take a 4-1 lead. A walk and a single put two on, and Inman brought them both home with a double to right-center. Zitel followed with a two-run home run.

The Golden Griffins responded in the top of the second to tie the game at 4-4, on three unearned runs. A hit batter with the bases loaded and two outs scored the first, before a two-RBI double brought in two more.

The Mountaineers came right back again, with two in the bottom of the second to regain a 6-4 lead. Back-to-back walks to lead off the inning were followed by a sacrifice bunt. Gonzalez then singled home the first run, and junior right fielder Darius Hill grounded out to bring in the second.

However, Canisius tied it in the third, at 6-6, with an RBI single with no outs and an RBI groundout. After a 1-2-3 bottom half, CC took an 8-6 lead on back-to-back doubles with no outs.

Sophomore right-hander Cody Wood relieved Myers and did not allow another run in the fourth, stranding two on base.

In 3.0 innings, Myers allowed eight runs, four earned, on nine hits with three strikeouts and a walk.

Wood held Canisius scoreless in the fifth, sixth and seventh.

White’s three-run home run in the seventh gave the Mountaineers the lead back, at 9-8. A leadoff single and a walk got things started, before White came to the plate with two outs. He drilled the first pitch over the left-field wall for his first career home run.

A solo home run in the top of the eighth tied the score again, at 9-9. Ennis came in to get a strikeout to end the inning and stranded two in the top of the ninth.

That set up Kearns’ heroics in the bottom half. With two outs, Galusky was hit by a pitch and stole second. Kearns followed with a base hit through the left side to bring home Galusky.