Buckeyes Even Series with Mountaineers

Granville, WV - The West Virginia Mountaineers (11-8) dropped the second game of the series to the Ohio State Buckeyes (9-8) Saturday evening 7-4.

Ohio State jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Junior Trey Lipsey got it going for the Buckeyes with a hard ground ball to third and it rattled out of the glove of a diving Reed Chumley for an infield single. Sophomore Mathew Graveline followed with a line drive to left field for a one-out double. Then, junior Tyler Pettorini ripped a single to left field.

West Virginia senior starting pitcher Derek Carter loaded the bases after grazing Joseph Mershon before shortstop Brodie Kresser booted a groundball from senior Mitchell Okuley to bring in a run and junior Nick Giamarusti capped off the three-run first inning, dropping an RBI single in centerfield. 

The Mountaineers tied the game in the fourth when Benjamin Lumsden doubled down the right field line and Ellis Garcia singled to centerfield, advancing Lumsden to third and setting up Grant Hussey for the sacrifice RBI. Then, Chumley blasted a two-run home run over left field and the game was tied at three through four innings. 

Sam White was hit by a pitch in the fifth and a single by Chumley moved White to third and White took advantage of a wild pitch and sprinted home to give the Mountaineers a 4-3 lead. 

Ohio State senior Hank Thomas came into the game hitting .125 on the year, and in the seventh, he reclaimed the Buckeye lead with a pinch hit two-run home run, his first of the season and the 5-4 advantage. 

The Buckeyes added two runs in the seventh with an RBI double from Josh Stevenson and single from Thomas scored Stevenson for the 7-4 lead. 

West Virginia threatened to score in the seventh, leaving a combined three baserunners stranded as the Buckeyes took game two 7-4.