Baseball Takes Three of Four Over Weekend - West Virginia State University Athletics

West Virginia State University Athletics

   The WVSU baseball team made a strong showing at the American Baseball Classic in Wilson, North Carolina, over the weekend to close out the non-conference portion of its schedule with a solid 7-4 mark.

     The Yellow Jackets won three of four contests in Wilson including two in an impressive double-header sweep of previously unbeaten #4 Mercyhurst on Friday.

      Sunday they knocked off Kutztown 9-2.

     "Andrew Stone did a good job on the mound," WVSU Head Coach Sean Loyd said, " and our hitters were excellent in terms of pitch recognition and squaring balls up."

     Brandon Wright and Jared Hunt each had three hits for WVSU while Trayvis Patterson drove in two runs.

     Stone, a red-shirt freshman out of Nitro High, started and scattered allowed four hits in six innings of work while striking out three.

     Starting pitching was a key factor all weekend for the Jackets with senior Colby Gainer and junior Hunter Bradley had strong outings when WVSU swept Mercyhurst, ranked #4 nationally, in a doubleheader Friday.

     "It was an encouraging weekend," Loyd said. "Taking three out of four from PSAC schools."

     That gives the Yellow Jackets some momentum going into the start of conference play. They are scheduled to host Notre Dame in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Saturday and then Urbana comes to town Sunday for a doubleheader also beginning at 1 p.m.

       Wright, a senior second baseman, leads the Jackets at the plate with a .333 batting average.

       Stone has proven to be a two way threat with his pitching and hitting. So far this year he is the Yellow Jackets top power hitter with two home runs, three doubles, and a triple. He has knocked in a team leading nine runs. He has also displayed speed with four stolen bases in four attempts.

       Sophomore Trevor Sampson out of South Charleston and junior Ryan McDonough from Nitro High have both driven in seven runs.

       Senior Colby Gainer anchors a staff of starting pitchers that have performed well in the early going.

       Gainer is 2-0 with a 1.93 earned run average and has struck out 12 in 18 1/3 innings.

       Junior Hunter Bradley is 2-1 and has fanned 13 in 18 innings. Stone is 1-0 in his lone start and junior Kenneth Daniels, 0-1, completes the starting staff so far.

      Seniors Tyrel Panter and Matthew Washington in particular have provided effective relief pitching.

       Panter has yet to allow a run while picking up three saves and a win in five appearances to date. He has struck out 11 in 7 1/3 innings. Washington has given up two runs while striking out seven in six innings.

        Notre Dame comes to town with a 2-5 mark while Urbana has yet to enter the win column in 11 games.

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