West Virginia

No. 17 West Virginia Clinches Series Over UCF in a Crazy Game 2

Published

10 months ago

April 27, 2025

No. 17 West Virginia Clinches Series Over UCF in a Crazy Game 2

ORLANDO – The No. 17 West Virginia Mountaineers (36-5 ,15-3) outslugged the UCF Knights (23-19, 6-14) Saturday night for the 15-10 win.

West Virginia captured a large lead in the top of the first inning after singles from junior Skylar King and senior Kyle West and junior Sam White worked a one-out walk to load the bases before freshman Gavin Kelley dropped a two-RBI single in shallow left-centerfield and senior Grant Hussey drove an RBI double to right field. Then, senior Brodie Kresser laid a bunt down the first base line all the way to the bag for an RBI single before sophomore Spencer Barnett capped a five run first with a sacrifice fly to center for the 5-0 lead.

UCF answered in the bottom of the frame. West Virginia starting pitcher Gavin Van Kempen had a rough outing. The junior walked consecutive batters to start the inning, then sophomore Andrew Williamson delivered an RBI single to put the Knights on the board and senior Andrew Sundean lifted a three-run home run over the left field wall to pull UCF within one 5-4.

The Knights took the lead in the fourth when senior Matt Prevesk hit a leadoff double, a single from sophomore Antonio Jimenez scored Prevesk and Sundean ripped an RBI double down the left field line for the 6-5 lead.

Kelley tied the game in the fifth with a sacrifice RBI to centerfield, but in the bottom of the inning with the bases loaded, senior reliver Reese Bassinger walked in the go-ahead run.

West Virginia knotted the game in the seventh after West beat the throw on an infield single to first. Sophomore Armani Guzman entered the game as a pinch-runner and proceeded to steal second. Then with one out, White hit a ground ball over to first and after redshirt junior reliver covered the bag for the out, he threw the ball on the ground towards the mound and Guzman came into to score.

UCF reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning following singles from junior DeAmez Ross and Jimenez to place runners at the corners before Williams put the ball in play for the sacrifice RBI and an 8-7 lead.

In the eighth, West Virginia regained the lead, putting four runs on the board. An error from junior second baseman Edian Espinal put Hussey at first, Kresser followed with a single, then King ripped a ground ball down the third base line into the left field corner for a two-RBI double. Guzman laid down a fielder’s choice RBI bunt and Logan Sauve put the ball in play to King for the 11-8 lead.

The Knights pulled back within a run in the bottom the frame after Espinal reached on an error at third, redshirt junior Dylan King received a one-out walk and Prevesk singled to load the bases. West Virginia junior reliever Carson Estridge walked in a run before Jimenez hit a sacrifice fly to right field to cut the WVU lead to one, 11-10.

West Virginia broke the game open in the ninth after Kelly worked a walk, Hussey slapped a single through the right side, Kresser dropped a fly ball that dropped in shallow centerfield for an RBI single before junior Benjamin Lumsden blasted a three-run home run over the right field wall into the parking lot for a four-run ninth and a 15-10 lead.

Estridge kept the Knights off the board in the ninth as the Mountaineers take game two with the 15-10 decision.

The Mountaineers will look for the series sweep Sunday afternoon. The first pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. EST and the action will stream on ESPN+.

West Virginia

West Virginia Surrenders Six-Run Lead, Falls in Series Finale to Kennesaw State

Published

23 minutes ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

West Virginia Surrenders Six-Run Lead, Falls in Series Finale to Kennesaw State

West Virgnia built a six-run lead through five and half innings, but the Kennesaw State Owls (5-5) scored seven unanswered runs in three frames to knock off the Mountaineers (8-2) Sunday afternoon 7-6.

West Virginia captured an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first after sophomore Matt Ineich hit a leadoff single before sophomore Gavin Kelly and senior Paul Schoenfeld were issued walks to load the bases with two outs on the board. Then, redshirt freshman Ryan Maggy line a two-RBI single to centerfield in his first career start.

The Mountaineers extended their lead in the second when Kelly hit a three went opposite field for a three-run home run, his first of the season, for a 5-0 advantage.

West Virginia starting southpaw pitcher Maxx Yehl threw five scoreless innings. The redshirt junior recorded four strikeouts on the day and limited the Owls to four hits.

Kelly added a run in the sixth, clearing the centerfield wall for his second home run of the afternoon and a 6-0 WVU lead.

Redshirt sophomore Bryson Thacker took the mound in the six. After a high and wide throw on a ground ball, a walk, and with two outs, junior Cooper Williams drooped an RBI single in right field to put the Owls on the board. Then, a pitch in the dirt rolled to the backstop to add another run, closing the gap to four, 6-2.

Carson Estridge was handed the ball in the seventh. The senior right-hander gave up a leadoff double before registering the next two outs, including a strikeout, before freshman McCollum line an RBI single just out of the reach of the glove of Kelly. Senior Jackson Chirello cut the deficit one, hammering the 3-1 pitch well over the right field wall and into the Waffle House parking lot for a two-run home run.

West Virginia head coach Steve Sabins turned to the clubhouse leader in saves David Perez to get the Mountaineers out of the inning. The freshman returned to the mound in the eighth. Senior Jamarie Brooks reached after hitting a sharp ground ball over to first that went between the legs of senior Ben Lumsden. Then, Williams blasted a two-run home run and a 7-6 Owls lead.

In the ninth, senior Matthew Graveline nearly tied the game with the swing of the bat, driving 0-2 pitch off the top of the left field wall for a one-out double to put the Mountaineers into scoring position. However, redshirt senior Harry Cain sat the last two Mountaineer hitters to collect his second win of the season as the Owls completed the comeback with the 7-6 decision.

West Virginia is back in action on Tuesday for the first of a two-game series against Radford. Game one and game two (Weds) are both scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and the all the action will stream on ESPN+.

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West Virginia

Delegate Larry Kump, master of various catch phrases, has died – WV MetroNews

Published

12 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Delegate Larry Kump of Berkeley County has died, state officials announced. Kump was 78 years old.

Larry Kump

Kump, a Republican, served in the House from 2010 to 2014, again from 2018 to 2020 and finally 2022 to the present. He had announced plans to run again in the coming electoral cycle.

“As a battle-tested and liberty minded Christian and Constitutional Conservative, my consecrated action principles of good governance remains solid and steadfast,” he wrote to supporters in January.

He had been serving in the ongoing legislative session, but had been absent in recent weeks.

The daily prayer in the House of Delegates this past Wednesday included an expression of concern for Kump: “A special prayer for Delegate Larry Kump. Lord, you know where he is in the hospital now, and I pray right now that you would send your angels there to touch him, to be with him.”

Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Kump’s death on social media, calling Kump “a devoted public servant who dedicated many years of his life to improving West Virginia.

“Delegate Kump served with a deep commitment to the principles he believed would strengthen our communities and protect our freedoms.

“On behalf of the First Lady and myself, we extend our condolences to Larry’s family, friends, former colleagues, and all those who had the privilege of knowing and serving alongside him. His legacy of service and his love for our state will never be forgotten.”

Secretary of State Kris Warner also posted condolences to Kump’s family. “Larry was a conservative Christian and a true Mountaineer! He will be sadly missed by his friends and colleagues,” Warner posted.

The West Virginia Democratic Party also put out a statement to offer condolences, saying Kump’s work reflected a lifelong commitment to accountability, public policy, and the effective administration of government.

“Delegate Larry Kump devoted his life to his family, his community, and to his state. He brought experience, independence and thoughtfulness to his role, and he never lost sight of the people he served,” said Mike Pushkin, the Democratic Party chairman who is also a delegate from Kanawha County.

Kump was known for his turns of phrase, for example kicking off his comments on the House floor with “Great googly moogly” for emphasis. He often described his adoration for his “beloved and bodacious wife Cheryl.”

He regularly concluded interactions and written communications this way: “Meanwhile, and for sure and for certain, may God bless you all real good!”

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West Virginia

Vape Safety Act of 2026 passes W.Va. House, tightening oversight and licensing for shops

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Vape Safety Act of 2026 passes W.Va. House, tightening oversight and licensing for shops

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — The Vape Safety Act of 2026 passed in the West Virginia House of Delegates on Friday, aiming to crack down on what lead sponsor of the bill Del. David McCormick, R-Monongalia, said are the bad actors in the vape shop world.

“They’re very lightly regulated,” McCormick said. “Here’s something that is becoming a blight on our landscape out here in our neighborhoods and towns. They’re all over the state and they need some oversight.”

McCormick said the bill will also strengthen licensing as to who can run the shops.

A key part of the legislation that passed the House by a vote of 88-5 is an FDA registry, requiring all the products sold in the shops to be approved at the federal level.

“Make sure that something doesn’t have 30 times the nicotine in it that it’s supposed to, which has happened, and get a 12-year-old kid addicted to nicotine,” McCormick. “That’s buying something that looks like Pokémon.”

Cracking down on the marketing strategies vape shops use is also included in the bill. It has gained support from both sides of the aisle.

“You walk into them and they have you know it looks fun and all the flavors and all the things,” Del. Hollis Lewis, D-Kanawha said. “So when teens go in there, it’s geared towards teens. So I think some regulation is important.”

Other provisions include vape shops not being allowed within 300 feet of schools, libraries or churches.

“I would deem these things almost attractive nuisance for kids and teenagers,” Lewis said. “What we want to do in this piece of legislation, we want to ultimately, above anything else, is protect our children and to get rid of bad actors to make sure that we know what’s being sold in the shop and we know who’s selling it.”

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