BLUEFIELD, W.VA. – The West Virginia State Baseball bats exploded Thursday, cranking out 19 hits in a 17-9 victory over Bluefield State at Bowen Field.
WVSU move back to .500 on the season with a 12-12 ledger, while Bluefield State slips to 13-22.
Six Yellow Jackets recorded multi-hit performances, led by senior Michael Stone who tallied four hits and scored four times. Graduate student Matthew Kline doubled twice in a 3-for-6 day where he also scored three times and drove in two, and junior Trey Junkins slugged both a double and a triple in his 3-hit day with three runs and three RBI.
Senior Brett Christian also posted three RBI with a pair of hits, and graduate student Andrew Sharp, senior Dylan Ball and sophomore Ryan Kay all added two RBI each. Kay also scored twice and posted two hits.
On the mound, graduate student Daniel Brandon picked up his first win of the season, tossing five innings surrendering just four hits and two runs while striking out six.
Although Bluefield broke through first, plating a run in the opening frame, State quickly tied the contest in the third after catcher Cole Kiddy singled and then scored on another single, this one from Sharp.
The Yellow Jackets quickly took control of the contest the following frame, scoring four times in the fourth to go up 5-1, and then added three more runs in the fifth before their explosive eight-run seventh.
In the fourth inning, WVSU took the lead after back-to-back doubles from Mike Stone and Kline, followed by a line-drive triple to right field from Junkins. He himself then came home on a RBI groundout, and then Kay singled his way on and scored on yet another double, this one courtesy of freshman Nathan Paulsen.
Up 5-1, the WVSU lead was trimmed after a solo shot from the Big Blue, but responded in commanding fashion in the fifth with a trio of runs.
Mike Stone again reached based to lead off the inning, then scored on a line-drive single to left field from Christian. Kline, who had also singled earlier in the frame, came home on a fielders' choice, and an error brought home Junkins, who had walked.
State added even more cushion in the seventh with eight runs, taking a 16-2 lead. Junkins led off the inning with a double and scored on an error, and then Ball, who had reached on the error, came home on a Kay single.
Kay came home on another Big Blue miscue, and the Yellow Jackets benefitted twice more from Bluefield errors, as Kline doubled home both graduate student Andrew Stone and Sharp, who had each reached that way. Junkins then returned to the plate his second time in the frame, singling home Mike Stone, who had registered an infield single, and a Ball sac fly brought home Kline.
Bluefield trimmed the margin with three runs in the seventh and four in the eighth, but State added insurance after Christian brought home M. Stone home for his fourth run of the day.
UP NEXT
The Yellow Jackets remain on the road, beginning divisional league play by facing Concord in Athens, W.Va., for a pair of doubleheaders. First pitch both Saturday and Sunday are slated for 1 p.m., and live stats and video streaming will be provided.
