INSTITUTE, W.VA. – It was a long but successful sweep for West Virginia State Baseball Saturday over league foes Davis & Elkins, winning a marathon contest in Game 1 10-4 at Cal Bailey Field, and then finishing the day with a 14-7 finale at Shawnee Sports Complex just a short ways down the road.
The Yellow Jackets improve to 22-17 on the season and 14-12 in Mountain East Conference play, while the Senators slip to 6-32 on the year and 3-23 in the MEC.
State cranked out 20 hits on the day, highlighted by 15 in the nightcap. Four different players tallied three hits each- graduate student Andrew Stone, who also scored three times, junior Trey Junkins, who drove in three, sophomore Ryan Kay, and freshman Dante Zamudio, who posted an impressive four RBI in the finale.
GAME 1: WVSU 10, D&E 4
In a game that took nearly five hours to finish, State used just five hits to score 10 runs, led on a two-hit game by Kay, who also drove in two. Stone, Junkins, and freshman Nathan Paulsen each scored twice.
Reliever Camron Lewis picked up the win, moving to 3-0 on the season, and freshman Riley Vadasz registered his first career save, tossing 4.1 scoreless innings and allowing just two hits and a walk.
The Senators attacked first, scoring in the opening frame off a pair of walks, a fielding error, and a sacrifice fly.
State quickly tied the contest in the bottom of the inning, after Stone, ranked 10th in the country for the statistic, walked to lead things off. He stole second, then advanced on a groundout and came home on a wild pitch.
The Yellow Jackets added five runs in the second, this time starting the scoring with the younger Stone, as Michael Stone walked. A pair of singles from graduate student Matthew Kline and senior Brett Christian moved each runner up, and then a fielder's choice from Andrew Stone drove in Michael. Three straight walks kept the bases loaded for State, eventually bringing home Kline and A. Stone.
A fielding error on a pop up for the Senators' brought home both Paulsen and Junkins, who each walked.
What followed was just over an hour rain delay, with play resuming around the 3:30 mark. The Senators responded with a pair of runs, and then a bases-loaded walk cut State's lead to two runs at 6-4.
The score remained until the bottom of the fifth, when Kay added insurance after singling his way on, stealing second and advancing to third on an error, eventually coming home on a sacrifice fly.
After a second delay, this one also lasting an hour, the teams once again return to the field, and State added cushion scoring three times in the sixth.
After Junkins and Christian each walked, Paulsen tripled to bring both of them home and then he himself came home on a single up the middle from Kay to finalize the contest 10-4.
GAME 2: WVSU 14, DAVIS & ELKINS 7
The Yellow Jackets exploded in the nightcap, scoring eight times in the opening frame to build a nice cushion off five hits.
Once more, Andrew Stone reached to lead things off, advanced on a Junkins single, and then came home on a connection back up the middle from Kay. The very next at bat, the Yellow Jackets added two more runs after another single, this one from Zamudio, brought home Junkins and Paulsen, who reached via a walk.
State increased their lead to 5-0 after Zamudio and Kay both came home courtesy of a single up the middle from catcher Dylan Ball. A bases-clearing double from Junkins drove in the final three runs of the frame, giving State the early advantage.
The squad added four runs in the third, as Kay brought home Andrew Stone, who had singled, and then Zamudio roped a double to bring home Junkins and Paulsen, who reached on a fielder's choice.
The Yellow Jackets added additional cushion in the sixth, plating a pair of runs after freshman Peyton Stover doubled and later scored, and graduate student Austin Martin came home on a groundout.
The Senators broke the shutout in the sixth, scoring three times off four hits, and then cut State's lead in half after four more runs in the seventh.
Sophomore Colin Bryant registered the win, allowing just one hit with no walks and tallying five strikeouts, including striking out the side in the second. Reliever Daniel Brandon earned the save with four innings.
UP NEXT
State will remain at home to complete the series, slated for another doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday. Live stats and video will be available.
