After dropping sport one 7-3 towards Kansas (18-25, 3-11 Large 12) on Friday, West Virginia (25-16, 8-6) was again in motion Saturday afternoon. With winds over 25 miles an hour, the ball was flying throughout Hoglund Ballpark. The Mountaineer’s bats caught fireplace this afternoon which helped propel them over the Jayhawks, defeating them 10-7.

Grant Hussey led the offensive onslaught going 3-5 scoring 2 R and a couple of RBI on the day. Chris Sleeper obtained the win going three full innings permitting 4 hits, two runs and strolling three. He improves to 3-4 on the yr. Chase Smith picked up the save, going 2.2 innings whereas not permitting successful and putting out one.

Payton Allen was awarded the loss, going one inning and permitting three runs on three hits whereas strolling one.

Ben Hampton was the starter on the bump for the Mountaineers Saturday afternoon and struggled towards the Jayhawks lineup going 3.1 innings, permitting seven hits, 5 runs, which have been all earned, and walked one batter.

On the opposite facet, Cole Larsen was the hurler for the Jayhawks. He additionally struggled within the parts Saturday afternoon as he went 4 innings permitting 5 hits and 6 runs, whereas strolling 5 batters. He additionally allowed three lengthy balls.

The Mountaineers rapidly jumped on Larsen as JJ Wetherholt and Victor Scott hit back-to-back doubles to offer the Mountaineers an early one-run lead within the prime half of the primary inning.

With only one out within the inning, Scott stole third base which gave West Virginia the chance to tack on one other run. After McGwire Holbrook popped out to second Nathan Blasick labored a five-pitch stroll.

Blasick moved up 90 ft to second on a stolen base to place runners at second and third. However Braden Barry flew out to left discipline to strand two runners in scoring place.

Ben Hampton was on the bump for West Virginia. The Kansas bats continued to impress this weekend as three straight one-out singles tied the sport up for the Jayhawks within the backside half of the primary inning because of Caleb Upshaw’s RBI single. Shortly thereafter Jack Hammond drove in Maui Ahuna to offer Kansas their first lead of the day.

However after that, Hampton was capable of work by the hitting barrage of Kansas and get out of the primary inning down one.

West Virginia didn’t wait lengthy to strike again as Grant Hussey hit his team-leading seventh house run of the season to proper discipline to knot issues up at two. 

After a painless backside half of the second inning, the Mountaineers retook the lead within the prime half of the third inning as Holbrook crushed a no-doubt solo shot with two outs within the inning. 

However similar to within the first inning, that lead didn’t maintain up as Dylen Ditzenberger continued his stellar weekend by mashing a dangling breaking ball over the right-center discipline fence. Upshaw adopted up the homer with a double however Hampton labored out of the inning as Tom Lichty flew out to left discipline.

The Mountaineers got here into the highest of the fourth inning with the underside of the order up. Larsen proceeded to stroll the underside two males within the West Virginia order to flip the lineup over to Austin Davis with only one out within the inning. Davis made Larsen pay as he deposited a three-run jack into left discipline to offer the Mountaineers a three-run lead.

Kansas started to chip away on the West Virginia lead immediately within the backside of the fourth as Cooper McMurray hit a leadoff house run to chop the lead down to 2. 

After coming again properly from the house run by putting out the following batter Hampton confronted, he walked Sergio Rivera which might mark the top of the road for Hampton on this one.

Chris Sleeper got here into reduction for Hampton, and the lead evaporated for West Virginia. 

Tavian Josenberger singled which put runners on the corners. Ditzenberger drove a ball excessive within the air to left-center discipline. Barry tried to make a play on it and catch it however it fell into the hole for a double which allowed Rivera to attain. Kansas tied the sport up at six as Ahuna grounded out. Larsen made it only one batter into the fifth inning as he walked Holbrook earlier than getting pulled. Payton Allen got here into pitch for the Jayhawks and after permitting one hit within the inning was capable of flip a 4-6-3 double play to finish the inning.

McMurray hit his second house run of the sport to left discipline within the backside half of the fifth inning with two outs to offer the Jayhawks a one-run lead.

The lead for Kansas similar to all of their different leads within the sport. Brief-lived. Davis hit an RBI double to arrange runners at second and third with no outs. That will mark the top of the day for Allen.

Stone Hewlett got here into the sport to attempt to tightrope out of hazard. After putting out Wetherholt to get the primary out of the inning Scott legged out an infield single to offer the Mountaineers one more one-run lead. They tacked on one other run off of a wild pitch which allowed Davis to attain from third and Scott to advance 90 ft to second base. 

After Sleeper made it by the Kansas order within the backside half of the seventh inning painlessly, West Virginia appeared so as to add some insurance coverage late within the ballgame within the seventh inning.

Hussey began the Mountaineer half of the seventh inning with a leadoff single which pressured Kansas to make one more pitching change bringing in Knolton Clark. On the primary batter that Clark confronted, Mikey Kluska hit a blooper into proper discipline which put two runners on with no one out within the inning. However Clark rebounded properly setting down the following two batters he confronted, together with a strikeout of Davis.

That will then herald Kolby Dougan to attempt to get out of the highest of the seventh jam. However instantly after coming into the sport, Dougan plunked Wetherholt which loaded the bases. Dougan rapidly recovered from the hit by a pitch to get Scott to come out to Ditzenberg and strand the bases loaded.

Sleeper got here out for his third inning of labor however issues didn’t go as deliberate for the freshman righty. He gave up a leadoff double to Upshaw after which a wild pitch moved him up 90 ft. The following hitter, Lichty, grounded one proper again to Sleeper and that caught Upshaw in a rundown. Although the Mountaineers obtained Upshaw out, it nonetheless superior the opposite two runners on base into scoring place.

After deliberately strolling McMurray that may mark the top of Sleeper’s day. Chase Smith would are available to attempt to strand the bases loaded. Smith threw three straight balls earlier than getting Jake English to floor right into a taylor-made 4-6-3 double play to promptly finish the inning.

Kansas’ prime half of the order offered little assist in the underside of the eighth inning. Hussey began off the highest of the ninth inning with a bang, hitting his second house run of the sport, including a much-needed insurance coverage run because the Mountaineers took a three-run lead into the underside half of the ninth.

Smith got here again into the sport and shut down the Jayhawks’ offense within the backside half of the inning.

Total, West Virginia ended the day with 10 runs on 13 hits and one error whereas Kansas scored seven runs on 11 hits and dedicated one error on the day.

The rubber match of the three-game set is ready for 1:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon again at Hoglund Ballpark.