INSTITUTE, W.Va. – West Virginia State Baseball improved its win streak to nine games Tuesday at Cal Bailey Field, downing Ohio Valley University in State's final midweek matchup of the year. The Yellow Jackets move to 24-7 on the season with the 13-7 victory.
Junior
Michael Stone led the offense with a perfect day at the plate, going 3-for-3 while scoring twice and also posting two RBI. Brother
Andrew Stone and former high school classmate
Matt Harrison also scored two runs apiece while registering two hits. Harrison blasted his league-leading 11th homer of the season as he drove in three on the afternoon.
Making his first start of the year, catcher
Cole Kiddy registered the first long ball of his career in grand slam fashion.
It was an all-staff day on the bump for the Yellow Jackets, using nine pitchers during the contest. The win went to junior
Foster Conis, who tossed three frames, allowing just one run and striking out four.
State scored eight runs across the first two innings, plating six in their opening at bat, including four courtesy of Kiddy's grand slam. The Yellow Jackets added two runs in the second thanks to Harrison's homer to take an 8-0 lead.
OVU got on the board in the third, but WVSU kept the gap to eight runs after a
Michael Stone single scored graduate student outfielder
Jared Hunt, who had just reached via fielder's choice.
The Fighting Scots added another run in the fourth, but State responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth after shortstop
Brett Christian scored on a sacrifice fly from
Michael Stone.
OVU threatened in the sixth, taking advantage of five walks, a wild pitch, and two singles to plate five runs and cut the lead to 10-7.
A three-run eighth for the Yellow Jackets featured three doubles. Senior
Austin Martin led off with a two-bagger to left center and scored one batter later on a single from Harrison.
Andrew Stone then brought Harrison home with a double, also to left center. Stone then came home on the final double of the inning- this one from graduate student
Antonio Brown to secure the 13-7 score.
UP NEXT
State returns to the road, heading to Elkins, W.Va., for a four-game stint with Mountain East Conference divisional foe Davis & Elkins beginning Saturday, May 1. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
