The No. 17 West Virginia University baseball team defeated Texas Tech, 12-8, on April 11 at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park. The Mountaineers improved their record to 23-7 overall and 9-4 in the Big 12 Conference, while the Red Raiders dropped to 19-14 and 5-8 in conference play.
This win is significant for West Virginia as it strengthens their position in the Big 12 standings and demonstrates their ability to perform against a strong offensive opponent.
Junior Tyrus Hall led the Mountaineers by going three-for-three with two runs batted in. Sophomore Matt Ineich contributed three RBIs, while senior Paul Schoenfeld had three hits. Graduate student Sean Smith and senior Matthew Graveline each drove in two runs. Junior pitcher Dawson Montesa threw seven innings with five strikeouts, allowing five runs against what was described as “the nation’s top offense.”
West Virginia took an early lead after Hall hit an RBI single in the second inning and later scored another run on a Texas Tech error. Although Texas Tech narrowed the gap, Schoenfeld prevented a tying run with a throw from center field to home plate. After trading leads throughout the game, West Virginia pulled ahead for good with six runs in the ninth inning—highlighted by Graveline’s two-run single and Ineich’s three-run double.
The Red Raiders managed two more runs before senior Carson Estridge ended the game by picking off Kyeler Thompson at third base.
Both teams are scheduled to play again on Saturday for game two of the series, with first pitch moved up to 1 p.m. Eastern Time.