West Virginia
Arizona outlasts West Virginia in 16-inning marathon on Friday
It was an unexpected marathon on Friday night and Saturday morning at Kendrick Family Ballpark.
The first pitch at 6:35 p.m. and the final pitch at 12:10 a.m., bookended a 16-inning game, WVU’s longest since 1937, lasting 5 hours and 34 minutes.
The Wildcats, winners of nine straight, and the Mountaineers, a team that had only dropped one game on the year, met on Friday. What was Arizona’s first-ever Big 12 road game turned into a never-ending battle.
After trailing 4-0 in the third inning, West Virginia tied the game in the ninth, but Arizona prevailed in the end.
After not scoring since the third inning, the Wildcats picked things up offensively 13 innings later, scoring two runs with two outs in the 16th inning as a two-run single from Richie Morales helped push the Wildcats to a 6-4 win on Friday night.
The Mountaineers would threaten multiple times in extra innings, stranding seven runners on base in the extra frames, while they stranded 17 on the night, in what was WVU’s longest game since 1937.
Griffin Kirn did not have his best stuff on Friday, and it was evident early. The left-handed pitcher’s pitch count mounted early, and his command wavered. Kirn tossed 22 pitches in the first frame, and only 10 of them were strikes, as he escaped the inning without allowing any damage. He wouldn’t be as lucky in the second, as the inning started with a leadoff walk before he allowed a single on a 1-2 count. The Wildcats would then advance both runners as Kirn attempted a pickoff attempt and it hit the runner on second, putting runners on second and third with no outs.
TJ Adams made Kirn pay, plating two on a two-run single up the middle, as Arizona took the first lead of the game. Kirn would throw 49 pitches in the first two innings, and only 27 of them were strikes.
Kirn was once again touched up in the third, as his defense couldn’t help him out. The inning started with a single, and then two batters later, Tommy Splaine doubled for the Wildcats to put them in business. Kirn got a strikeout for the second out of the inning and then appeared to have the third out.
Richie Morales hit a hard ground ball that hopped in front of WVU second baseman Sam White. White couldn’t handle the hop and would be charged with his sixth error of the year as the Wildcats led 3-0. After a walk, Kirn’s night would be over as Robby Porco came in with two outs and the bases loaded. An infield single added another for Arizona, as the inning ended with Arizona leading 4-0.
Kirn finished the game tossing 2.2 innings on 73 pitches thrown. He struck out four, walked four, and gave up four runs on four hits.
Porco would do his job as a middleman, surrendering four hits, but no runs in 2.2 innings pitched.
The Wildcats’ starting pitcher Collin McKinney was able to keep West Virginia’s lineup guessing early on. He had five strikeouts through the first three innings, allowing no hits in the process.
West Virginia got on board in the fourth, as Jace Rinehart as he doubled to start the inning, before Skylar King singled him home, putting the game at 4-1.
West Virginia loaded the bases in the fifth, but they couldn’t capitalize as Gavin Kelly struck out to end the inning.
The Mountaineers loaded the bases again in the sixth, but this time they would come through. Logan Sauve singled with two outs and the bases juiced, scoring two runs, as WVU trailed 4-3. White would then come to the plate, working a 3-2 count, but he flew out to the warning track to end the inning.
The Mountaineers would threaten again in the eighth, as Kyle West was hit by a pitch to start the inning and WVU then had a runner on second with no outs. Michael Perazza would then strike out before Brodie Kresser hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
McKinney finished the game tossing 4.2 innings, allowing three hits, walking four, and giving up one run and six strikeouts for Arizona. Casey Hintz followed him, tossing 1.1 innings, giving up two runs on two hits, walking two, and striking out two.
Following Hintz was Garrett Hicks, who threw the final three innings of the game for the Wildcats. Hicks did exactly what his team needed him to do, shutting out West Virginia over two innings before he handed the ball to Tony Pluta in the ninth.
White reached on a single with one out in the inning before Kelly singled with two outs, putting two runners on with one out. King would step to the plate for West Virginia, hitting a single to score Jorge Valdes who pinch-ran for White. The inning ended on the same play, as King inexplicably tried to get to second base, with the winning run already standing on third base, but was thrown out in the process, sending the game to extra innings.
Both teams went scoreless in the 10th, as Jack Kartsonas pitched a scoreless frame while Pluta did the same thing.
Kartsonas started the 11th inning by giving up a leadoff single to Aaron Walton, setting up the middle of the Arizona order with no outs and a runner on base. Kartsonas got a strikeout, before he would be replaced by Chase Meyer.
Walton stole second, before advancing to third on a flyout. Meyer then hit a batter, putting runners on the corners with two outs as Splaine stepped to the plate. The count ran full as Splaine then walked to load the bases. Meyer then got a ground out to end the inning, very animated in the process trying to fire up his team.
Kresser took that momentum into his at-bat to start the inning, singling with two strikes, before he advanced to second on a wild pitch. Sauve advanced him to third on a groundout, as Kresser stood as the winning run.
It would be White’s at-bat normally, but after he was run for in the ninth, it was Ben Lumsden who came off the bench for the Mountaineers. Lumsden struck out on three pitches, bringing Rinehart to the plate with two outs. Rinehart worked a walk setting the stage for the true freshman Kelly. Kelly would be unable to deliver as he was struck out looking.
Meyer would keep things going while he faced the minimum in the 12th, putting the game back in the hands of the Mountaineer offense. Hunter Alberini was brought into the game in the 11th and stayed on for the 12th. He made quick work of the Mountaineers in the frame, striking out the side. Meyer returned the favor in the 13th, getting three outs in a row, sending the game to the bottom of the 13th.
Kresser worked a walk and stole second, putting him in scoring position with one out. He advanced to third on a groundout from Sauve, as Lumsden had his chance at redemption. He would not redeem himself, striking out to end the inning. Meyer tossed another zero in the 14th before West Virginia once again threatened in the bottom of the inning.
Kelly reached on a wild pitch on a strikeout before King laid down a bunt to put runners on first and second with one out. Armani Guzman, who pinch-ran earlier in the game, stepped to the plate. He struck out on a full count, giving Ellis Garcia who came in as a defensive replacement, a chance to win the game. He would strike out as the Mountaineers went to the 15th inning.
Grant Hussey started the bottom of the 15th with a 111 MPH rocket off the bat of Hussey that looked to be a routine flyout. The Arizona center fielder misplayed the ball, dropping it, and then Kresser failed to get the runner over. Arizona then walked Sauve, before Lumsden struck out.
Because WVU burned the designated hitter, Meyer had to hit for himself and struck out, sending the game to the 16th inning.
Arizona then started the 16th with a leadoff double from Mason White, putting him immediately in scoring position. Meyer then hit the second batter of the inning, putting two on with no outs. Meyer got one out on a fielder’s choice before Splaine stepped to the plate for Arizona.
In came Luke Lyman, as he issued a walk to load the bases, before Andrew Cain came into the game to hit for Arizona. Lyman struck him out, as there were two outs and the bases juiced for Morales. The count started 2-0 before Lyman battled to get it to 2-2. Morales fought off the 2-2 pitch before the count was worked full. Morales won the battle, hitting a two-run single up the middle, giving Arizona a 6-4 lead and their first runs since the third inning.
Matthew Martinez came on to pitch for Arizona, three outs away from closing the door. He did just that, retiring the side in order, completing the win for the Wildcats.
GRANVILLE, W.Va. — While winning 19 of their first 21 games this season, the Mountaineers have either been on the good side of many lopsided scores or they found the key hit or the key shutdown inning from their bullpen to secure victories.
In the rubber game of their three-game series Sunday against Arizona, WVU could not get timely outs in relief as the Mountaineers fell to the Wildcats, 11-4. The Mountaineers (19-3, 2-2 Big 12) lost their first series of the year.
“I think it is the first time ever that maybe we have experienced a little bit of adversity or things hadn’t gone our way,” said WVU head coach Steve Sabins. “We had bases loaded multiple times and hit some balls really hard. We had a chance for a grand slam in the first, [Michael] Perazza line drive double play.”
“It is a long season. Just taking everything with a grain of salt, trying to win every pitch by pitch,” said WVU senior Kyle West. “Eventually win enough pitches and you will win innings and you’ll win games. That being said, the Big 12 is a tough conference. Anybody can beat anybody on any given day. It has been proven. Just stay present in each moment and you’ll give yourself a chance to win.”
West Virginia fell behind 3-0 in the third inning after starting pitcher Carson Estridge surrendered a solo home run to Adonys Garcia in the second inning and a two-run homer to Maddox Mihalakis in the third. After Garcia’s home run, both teams were warned by umpires after crosstalk between the two dugouts.
“I wasn’t a huge fan. I think something had gone on in the first or second inning where there was a little bit of back-and-forth. After Adonis Guzman hit the home run, he stood there for a little while and then I think talked on his way around the bases. So our guys kind of chirped back a little bit. I thought it was instigated by Arizona today,” Sabins said.
“But I think both teams were passionate in a rubber match and an opportunity to win the game. I wasn’t too worried about it. I just thought in that moment, I didn’t believe that we should probably have received a warning just because it was clearly one side. But I think early in the game, we had chirped at Arizona a little bit. So you can’t blame the umpires ever. They were doing basically their best job to make sure the game doesn’t get out of hand.”
The Mountaineers gained the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Sam White’s two-run home run in the third inning and Jace Rinehart’s two-run double in the fourth put the Mountaineers ahead 4-3.
“If I think about the moment and how big it is too much, I think it gets to me. So every time I go up to the plate, I do the same thing I do every time,” Rinehart said.
While White’s home run put the Mountaineers on the scoreboard, he did not return to the game in the fourth inning and was seen wearing a sling. Sabins did not have an immediate medical update on White following the game.
“He’s a huge part of our locker room and our morale,” West said. “Obviously, he plays a huge role at second base and hitting third every day. From a locker room standpoint, I think us as a team, we’ll do everything we can to make sure he stays up and he’s with us all the time.”
Catcher Logan Sauve did not play a day after he was injured in game two of the series.
“Yesterday he dove at home plate and landed on his shoulder. It was really tender this morning,” Sabins said. “We checked in it see if he could potentially play today and we didn’t think it was a good idea to put him in there today.”
Estridge left the game with the lead after pitching five innings. He allowed three runs and struck out six batters.
“It just was competitive the whole time,” Sabins said. “He gave us a chance to win the game.”
Leading 4-3 in the top of the eighth inning, Mason White’s two-run home run gave Arizona (18-5, 5-1 Big 12) a lead they would not relinquish. Arizona scored four more runs in the eighth and two in the ninth inning to close the game with eight unanswered runs.
WVU’s bullpen, shortened by a 16-inning game on Friday night, cycled through eight pitchers in the final four innings.
“Big impact, it changes what we do. But everyone we threw today is good enough to win the ball game. It just didn’t go our way,” Sabins said.
“I just felt like this whole weekend, it was right within our grasp. Friday, obviously we played 16 innings. We had a lot of opportunities, guys on third and less than two out. You had some men in scoring position Friday. A big win on Saturday and then we can’t quite close the deal on Sunday.”
Tyler Hutson fell to 1-1 on the season with the loss. He surrendered Mason White’s home run in the eighth inning.
Garcia went 3-for-5 with two home runs for Arizona.
West Virginia will host Marshall Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
West Virginia came out fast and never looked back, picking up a win over Columbia to advance in the NCAA Tournament. The Mountaineers led wire to wire, and between a hot start, suffocating defense, and balanced scoring, they handled what was a dangerous matchup on paper.
Head coach Mark Kellogg said it best at the start: “Excited to advance, obviously. That’s the name of the game this time of year is just find ways. Whether it’s pretty, ugly, indifferent, but I thought for the most part we were pretty good and led, obviously, for the entire night.”
This was no walk-through. Kellogg made it clear Columbia was a challenge, pointing to last year’s experience against Princeton to prepare for Ivy League toughness. “That even means more when you get a win against such a quality program. But I thought our kids were ready.”
West Virginia hadn’t played in two weeks, but if there were concerns about rust, they were erased quickly. Kellogg wanted a strong start — and he got it.
Harrison Ignites Hot Start
Jordan Harrison scored eight of WVU’s first 12 points, setting the tone early. “Honestly, considering that we haven’t played for two weeks, I think we were super excited to come out and play. And I think I was just given, I mean, taking it with the defense was giving me and not overthinking, just having fun with my teammates.”
Harrison would finish with 23 points, matching her WVU career best, and said, “Obviously, I’m pretty proud of myself. I’m glad that I stayed aggressive… I feel like I didn’t force too many shots, and I just kind of played with some rhythm.”
Quinerly Hits 2,000 Points
JJ Quinerly hit a milestone, recording her 2,000th career point during the game. “I think it’s just an amazing accomplishment. I think I dreamed of scoring 2000 points, probably my whole life. So just seeing it happening and then being where I’m at with this group of girls and the coach I have right now, I love it.”
When asked about the moment it happened, Quinerly kept it simple. “I knew I needed 19, but I really wasn’t really thinking about it. I just shot it.”
The scoring is one thing, but Quinerly made her mark all over the stat sheet — rebounds, assists, steals — and made sure to stay aggressive. “Being for me, I love attacking the hoop, so that’s what I did most of the game. I did shoot a couple of threes that I may have didn’t like, but hey, I got to shoot them to get into a rhythm.”
Defense Still the Identity
Offense made headlines, but defense was once again West Virginia’s calling card. “I think for us, it’s just fun. Honestly, I think we love flying around. We love getting steals, getting easy points. So it’s just fun and we love it,” Quinerly said.
Kellogg called both Harrison and Quinerly “elite” defenders and said, “Everybody talks about our size or the lack of, but man, what’s inside you and your heart and how tough you are… their will to defend is what separates some of the elite.”
Freshman Impact
Freshman Jordan Thomas stepped up with 12 points and 22 minutes in her first NCAA Tournament game. “She’s gotten better all year long… Her first rotation, I thought she looked a little more freshman-like, and I thought she settled in and then really was good for us,” Kellogg said.
Harrison also gave Thomas credit: “She played hard. I think she thought she could have did a little bit better, but we just kept encouraging her to keep on rebounding, keep on going up to the paint, going to the basket, getting easy buckets. So yeah, I’m super proud of her, especially for her to be a freshman.”
Controlling the Run
Columbia cut the lead to 15 at one point in the second half, but West Virginia quickly regained control. “They got a little run going, but we stayed settled in and we figured it out,” Quinerly said. That control was key, especially late, when WVU committed just one turnover in the final three minutes.
“I think we had a couple times where we turned the ball over just kind of moving too fast a little bit, but we definitely still handled it pretty well, I thought, and we got through it,” Quinerly said.
Fan Support Felt Strongly
WVU fans showed up in a big way. “Honestly, we love our fans. We’re so glad that they made the time to come down here for us. We play really well off of energy, so having them there is very important and they’re very important to us,” Harrison said.
History in Reach
The Mountaineers are now one win away from the program’s second Sweet 16 appearance. Kellogg didn’t shy away from the moment. “If we can win two in the tournament, we would be the first team in our school’s history to win two NCAA tournament games.”
He added, “Certainly we’re going to go into that game with an expectation that we can do something really special.”
For now, the focus shifts to the next game, and a chance to do just that.
Arizona will not be going unbeaten in its first season in the Big 12 Conference.
The Wildcats dropped their first league game on Saturday afternoon, falling 11-3 at West Virginia to snap a 10-game win streak.
A 7-run bottom of the 4th sealed the game for the Mountaineers (19-2, 2-1 Big 12), which chased UA starter Owen Kramkowski after 3.1 innings. The Wildcats (17-5, 4-1) were hoping he could go long after using seven pitchers in Friday night’s 16-inning win at West Virginia, a game that saw them record a school-record 29 strikeouts.
Kramkowski allowed eight runs, six earned, with the last three coming in after Raul Garayzar came on with the bases loaded and allowed a 3-run double. Garayzar gave up back-to-back run-scoring hits before retiring eight in a row, then Eric Orloff allowed two runs in the 7th.
West Virginia’s starter only lasted 3.2 innings but it only needed one reliever, as Reese Bassinger went the final 5.1 innings and allowed only one hit and one walk with eight strikeouts.
Arizona scored once each in the first two innings, on an RBI double by Mason White and a run-scoring single from Brendan Summerhill, who had two of the Wildcats’ seven hits. Tommy Splaine —who also had two hits—led off the top of the 4th with a solo home run to put the Wildcats up 3-2 but after that it was all West Virginia.
The rubber match of the series is set for 9 a.m. PT Sunday, with freshman RHP Smith Bailey set to start for Arizona.
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