The No. 17 West Virginia University baseball team defeated Marshall University 12-2 in eight innings on April 8 at Kendrick Family Ballpark. With this win, the Mountaineers improved their record to 22-7, while the Thundering Herd dropped to 14-17.
This game marks the second time this season that West Virginia has beaten its in-state rival. Sophomore Gavin Kelly led the offense with three hits and two runs batted in, while sophomore Matt Ineich contributed two hits and scored three runs. Junior Armani Guzman and graduate student Sean Smith each added two hits and two RBI.
Graduate student Ian Korn earned the win on the mound by pitching three scoreless innings in relief and striking out two batters. Senior Carson Estridge closed out the game with two more scoreless innings, also recording a pair of strikeouts.
Kelly started off scoring for West Virginia with an RBI single in the first inning, followed by a bunt single from Guzman for another run. Smith scored as Guzman was thrown out attempting to steal second base—his first time being caught stealing this season after successfully stealing his previous nineteen attempts.
Marshall managed to score once in both the second and third innings but could not keep up with West Virginia’s offense. The Mountaineers responded each time, including a Big 12-leading fifteenth double of the season from Kelly that drove in another run. Key defensive plays helped maintain their lead; notably, senior Paul Schoenfeld relayed a throw to Kelly who then threw home to senior Matthew Graveline to tag out a runner at home plate.
In later innings, Smith hit a two-run double after a wild pitch brought home another run for West Virginia. Senior Brock Wills threw out another Marshall runner at home before driving in an RBI himself during his next at-bat. Freshman Zahir Barjam ended the game early via run-rule with his first career RBI single.
West Virginia will return to Big 12 Conference play this weekend with three games against Texas Tech from April 10 through April 12.
