INSTITUTE, W.VA. – West Virginia State Baseball suffered a Sunday sweep at Cal Bailey Field, falling to conference foes Fairmont State 10-5 and 4-3.
The Yellow Jackets slip to 9-8 on the year and 2-4 in MEC action, while the Falcons improve to 11-10 overall and remain unbeaten in league play at 6-0.
Junior Trey Junkins launched his first long ball of the season in the first game, and graduate student Andrew Stone scored in both games.
GAME 1: WVSU 5, FAIRMONT STATE 10
The Yellow Jackets wasted no time getting on the board, scoring three runs in their first time to the plate.
Stone worked a leadoff walk, then advanced to second on a first-pitch single from freshman Nathan Paulsen, before both came home on a blast to left field from Junkins.
The Falcons scored twice in the third to trim the lead to just one run, and then took the lead after a seven-run fifth using six hits, and then added a run in the sixth.
State cut the lead in half in a comeback attempt in the seventh, scoring twice off a double from Stone that scored senior Brett Christian, who reached on a fielder's choice, and freshman Dante Zamudio came home on a Paulsen groundout.
Starter Quincy Thornton tossed four innings, striking out five.
GAME 2: WVSU 3, FAIRMONT STATE 4
As with the first contest, State struck early in the finale, again using a leadoff walk from Stone.
The graduate student took four straight pitches to reach base, then moved to second on a passed ball and advanced to third on a groundout from Junkins. A perfectly placed single through the left side from classmate Matthew Kline brought him home, and put WVSU up 1-0.
The Yellow Jackets added an insurance run in the second inning, as graduate transfer Andrew Sharp laced an infield single down to third base, and he too advanced to second on a passed ball. After advancing to third on a single to centerfield from sophomore Ryan Kay, Sharp scored on a fielder's choice connection from catcher Dylan Ball.
The 2-0 lead remained until the sixth inning, when Fairmont State scored four times to not only tie the contest but take the lead.
After a four-pitch walk led off the frame for FSU, Fairmont's Noah Canterbury cranked a homerun to tie the contest 2-2 with one out. Back-to-back singles put a pair of Falcons on base, and Fairmont then used a double, an intentional walk, and an error to score twice more before Zamudio struck out the final two batters of the inning.
Christian cut the lead to one run in the bottom of the frame, boarding via a free pass advancing on a sac bunt and a groundout, and then scoring on a Fairmont error. State continued to threaten during the inning, but alas left two men stranded as the sixth came to a close.
Sharp scored and posted two hits in the loss.
Starter Chase Norris was strong on the mound, going five innings allowing just two hits and fanning four while surrendering no walks. Zamudio was also impressive, striking out four in just 1.2 innings of work.
UP NEXT
State welcomes Frostburg State for a Monday twinbill, with first pitch beginning at 1 p.m. Live stats and video will be available for both contests.
