West Virginia Takes Game 3 and the Series from TCU

Ft. Worth, TX – West Virginia senior Reed Chumley went 2-4 at the plate with a home run and raked in four RBIs to guide the Mountaineers (33-20, 19-11) to a series decisive game three win over the TCU Horned Frogs (31-19, 14-16) Sunday evening 6-5.

West Virginia jumped out to an early advantage in the top of the first inning when sophomore Sam White was beaned by the 1-2 pitch, then back-to-back two-out RBI doubles from Reed Chumley and Grant Hussey gave the Mountaineers a 2-0 lead.

TCU loaded the bases in the third, and placed a runner in scoring position in the fifth but left-hander Tyler Switalski came out of both jams unscathed. The junior tossed five scoreless innings, allowed four hits, and struck out two.

The Horned Frogs got on the board in the sixth after redshirt senior Kurtis Byrne reached after a slow ground ball to reliever Maxx Yehl threw high and wide of first baseman Grant Hussey, allowing Byrne to take second. A wild pitch gave Byrne third before a check swing from freshman Chase Brunson resulted in a sacrifice RBI back to Yehl to cut the WVU lead in half 2-1.

West Virginia sophomore reliever Carson Estridge took the mound in the seventh with two outs and the bases loaded and on the 1-1 pitch, Byrne flied out in foul territory in right field to get out of the inning.

The Mountaineers broke the game in the eighth. Sophomore Benjamin Lumsden ripped a leadoff double to left field. Sophomore Logan Sauve took first with a one-out walk. TCU head coach Kirk Saarloos opted to load the bases after intentionally walking junior JJ Wetherhold. Sophomore Sam White hit an RBI sacrifice fly to centerfield. Then, Chumley lifted the 1-0 pitch well over the left field wall for a three-run home run to give WVU a 6-1 lead.

Cole Estridge loaded the bases in the eighth before head coach Randy Mazey called in senior Hambleton Oliver. Tolle came in to pinch-hit and flied out to left field for a sacrifice RBI and that’s all the Mountaineers relinquished to hold onto a 6-2 advantage.

In the bottom of the ninth, TCU loaded the bases after a leadoff single, a walk and a one single to set up a two-RBI double from freshman Chase Brunson to cut the lead to two, 6-4. Mazey turned the game to Joseph Fredericks. The freshman walked the bases loaded and Mazey, again, went to his bullpen.

Sophomore right-hander Robby Porco took the mound and with the count full, Brunson lined an RBI double and, on the play, senior Peyton Chatagnier was caught in a run down and tagged out at the plate.

Right-handed Luke Lyman came into the game, making his second appearance of the series and his fifth of the season. The sophomore ended the game with three-straight pitches for the strikeout as the Mountaineers held on for the 6-5 decision.