INSTITUTE, W.VA. – West Virginia State Baseball won their ninth game out of their last 10 contests with a doubleheader and series sweep of division foes Davis & Elkins Sunday by scores of 11-0 and 7-2 at Cal Bailey Field.
The Yellow Jackets move to 24-17 on the season and 16-12 in Mountain East Conference play, while the Senators slip to 6-34 and 3-25.
Freshman and reigning MEC Pitcher of the Week Quincy Thornton was dynamic in the opener, tossing his second complete game in as many appearances. For the finale, hurler Chase Norris was also impressive, picking up the win after six innings of work.
Sophomore Ryan Kay delivered another impressive performance at the plate, tallying three hits in the first game- his sixth game with three hits in his last nine. He extended his hitting streak to 12 games after a single in the nightcap.
GAME 1: WVSU 11, D&E 0
State tallied 14 hits in the contest, with six multi-hit performers. Kay led the way with three, while also scoring three times and driving in two and swiping two bases.
Thornton pitched a gem, scattering just three hits and allowing two walks.
Junior Trey Junkins also scored three times with a pair of hits, including a triple, and two RBI. Senior Michael Stone also tallied two hits while posting three RBI. Freshman Nathan Paulsen and graduate student Matthew Kline also recorded two hits, each.
The Yellow Jackets broke through early in the contest, scoring three runs in the opening frame. After Andrew Stone posted a leadoff double up the middle, he came home on Junkins three-bagger to get State on the board. Junkins then came home on a sacrifice fly, and Kay, who had singled to the right field gap, came home on a single to left from Kline.
WVSU doubled their lead in the third, as Kay ripped a ball back up the middle to bring home Junkins, who had been hit by pitch. A sacrifice fly brought home Paulsen, who had reached on an infield single, and then Kay was able to score on a double from Mike Stone.
The pattern continued, as State added another trio of runs in the fourth. Catcher Dylan Ball led off the inning with a walk and came home on a Junkins single down the left field line. Andrew Stone walked and later scored on a fielder's choice, and then Junkins was brought home on another fielder's choice, this one from freshman Dante Zamudio to put the Yellow Jackets up 9-0.
State added their final two runs of the day after Mike Stone singled through the left side to bring home both Zamudio and Kay, who each singled earlier in the frame, for the 11-0 mark.
GAME 2: WVSU 14, DAVIS & ELKINS 7
Once again, WVSU wasted no time getting on the board, plating four runs in the first inning. The four runs proved key, as the Senators chipped away at the lead over the course of the contest.
A three-run jack from Paulsen gave the Yellow Jackets some cushion, as Junkins and Andrew Stone also came home on the long ball.
A Mike Stone sacrifice fly brought home Zamudio, who had singled to left center earlier in the frame.
A failed pickoff attempt and throwing error brought home two D&E runners and narrowed the gap in half.
The Yellow Jackets responded by scoring three runs in the sixth to add some cushion. Mike Stone scored on a sacrifice fly, and then brother Andrew and graduate student Andrew Sharp both came home on a Senators miscue.
Norris allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out four.
UP NEXT
State wraps up the regular season with cross-county rivals Charleston, slated for a split series beginning Friday, May 6 and ending Sunday, May 8 at UC. Both days, first pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
