The Mountaineers Hit 4 Home Runs to Take Down Bearcats

Cincinnati – Sam White hit two of West Virginia four home runs Friday afternoon to lift the Mountaineers (28-16, 15-7) past the Cincinnati Bearcats (25-21, 11-11) for the 5-4 series opening win Friday afternoon.

Sam White gave the Mountaineers an early 1-0 lead with the first of his two home runs. The sophomore lifted the first pitch over the right field wall for a solo home run in the top of the second inning.

Sophomore Skylar King added to the lead in the third with a solo shot off the scoreboard in right field for a 2-0 WVU advantage.

Cincinnati put a run on the board in the bottom of the inning when Kerrington Cross hit a leadoff single to short, but an errant throw gave the redshirt junior second base. Then, Josh Kross smacked an RBI double off the centerfield wall to cut the Bearcats deficit to one, 2-1.

West Virginia senior starting pitcher Hayden Cooper left five runners stranded in the first three innings. However, after a single and a walk with two outs, head coach Randy Mazey called to the bullpen for the lefty Maxx Yehl and the sophomore got out of the inning with a fly ball to left field. Cooper finished with five strikeouts in 3.2 innings.

The Bearcats grabbed their first lead of day after Kross was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and senior Hunter Jessee hit a two-run home run to right field for the 3-2 advantage.

West Virginia reclaimed the lead in the sixth. Junior JJ Wetherholt hit a one-out single and junior Kyle West followed with a towering shot to right field for a two-run home run. Then, Sam White delivered his second home run of the afternoon to give the Mountaineers a 5-3 lead.

Senior Oliver Hambleton took the mound in the seventh for the Mountaineers and Cincinnati got back within a run. Jessee singled to centerfield and senior Josh Hegemann was beaned on the 1-0 pitch before junior Lauden Brooks dropped an RBI single in shallow centerfield.

In the eighth and with two outs on the board, Mazey turned the game to freshman Joseph Fredericks. On the first pitch, junior Tommy O’Connor flared a two-out single to centerfield. Mazey again called out to the bullpen, this time for sophomore right-hander Cole Estridge and he got out of the inning with a fly ball to right field.

Estridge gave up a leadoff walk in the ninth. Dalton Pearson entered the game as a pinch runner and the senior stole second, but the Mountaineers defense backs up Estridge to hold off the Bearcats for the 5-4 decision.

West Virginia will look to take the series in game two on Saturday. The first pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. and the action will stream on ESPN+.