The No. 16 West Virginia University baseball team defeated Binghamton, 10-1, in the opening game of the NCAA Regionals at Kendrick Family Ballpark on May 29. The Mountaineers improved to a record of 40-14, marking their second consecutive season and third time in four years reaching at least 40 wins. The Bearcats fell to 31-21.
Sophomore pitcher Chansen Cole struck out ten batters over six innings, allowing only one run on four hits and no walks. Sophomore David Hagen earned his first save of the season by pitching three scoreless innings, striking out three without giving up a hit.
Senior Matthew Graveline and senior Ben Lumsden both hit home runs for West Virginia. Lumsden reached base four times and collected three runs batted in. Junior Armani Guzman contributed two hits and drove in three runs, while sophomore Gavin Kelly added two RBI.
Binghamton scored first in the second inning before West Virginia responded with five runs in the fourth inning. Graveline started the rally with a two-run home run, followed by Lumsden’s first home run of the season, which brought in three more runs.
In the fifth inning, Cole struck out Sean Sweeney to leave the bases loaded for Binghamton and preserve West Virginia’s lead. The Mountaineers scored another five runs in the sixth inning as Kelly hit a two-run double and Guzman cleared the bases with another double.
Hagen walked his first batter but then retired nine straight to close out the game, including two strikeouts in the ninth inning. West Virginia is scheduled to play Kentucky next in a winner’s bracket game on Saturday at 5 p.m.