West Virginia University Athletic Department: Mountaineers Defeat Xavier on Wetherholt's Walk-Off

Nate Burton Director of Athletics (AD) | West Virginia State University Athletic Department

By Mountain State Times reports

Apr 1, 2023

For the second consecutive game, the West Virginia baseball team won on a walk off as sophomore JJ Wetherholt delivered the game-winning hit in a 5-4 win over Xavier, Friday afternoon. The Mountaineers improve to 17-5 on the season while the Musketeers fall to 10-11.

"That pitcher got JJ [Wetherholt] the first time and made him look pretty bad, but it's hard to do that to a good hitter twice," said head coach Randy Mazey. "I went up and down the lineup and every guy for us did something to help us win that game. It was a great team win."

Wetherholt, batting lead-off for the first time this season, had three hits to lead the team while junior Landon Wallace went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.

On the mound, junior Ben Hampton threw 7.0 innings with seven strikeouts while allowing three runs. Junior Carlson Reed earned the win by pitching the final 2.0 innings and allowing just one unearned run.

The Mountaineers jumped out in front in the second inning as senior Kevin Dowdell singled in a run to put WVU up 1-0. The lead did not last long as Xavier hit a solo home run in the third to tie the game.

In the fourth, Wallace came up to the plate with a runner on and blasted a two-run home run over the left-center field wall for his second of the season.

Once again, Xavier evened things up, hitting a two-run home run of their own in the sixth inning. West Virginia re-took the lead in the seventh on a squeeze bunt from junior Braden Barry before the Musketeers tied it up once more in the eighth.

Reed had to work through some traffic in the top of the ninth as the Musketeers put runners on first and third with two outs, but a flyout ended the inning.

In the bottom of the ninth, pinch-hitter Ellis Garcia singled to center before being lifted for pinch-runner Tré Keels. Graduate student Tevin Tucker followed with a nine-pitch walk which forced Xavier to pitch to Wetherhholt, the Big 12's leading hitter. On the first pitch, he lined the ball to left-center, allowing Keels to come in a score the winning run.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow afternoon for game two of the series. First pitch from Wagener Field at Monongalia County Ballpark is set for 4 p.m.