CLEMSON, S.C — After defeating Clemson 9–6 on Saturday night at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, West Virginia’s flare for the dramatic propelled the Mountaineers back to a regional final for the second straight season.
Armani Guzman defeated Kentucky in the first round with a walk-off sacrifice fly. It was Sam White’s turn against the Tigers (45–17).
Steve Sabins, the head coach of WVU, remarked, “We had so many great individual performances.” To make that game possible, a lot of people banded together. got off to a fantastic offensive start. ended up falling behind by the seventh inning, but they rallied for a fantastic ninth inning.
After winning the Tucson, Arizona, Regional as the No. 3 seed the previous season, WVU (43-14) is only one victory away from securing a spot in the super regionals for the second straight season. The Mountaineers are familiar with this structure.
The Mountaineers led 9–5 after a four-run inning that began with White’s double in the top of the ninth. Ben McDougal and Chase Meyer, WVU bullpen pitchers, survived a shaky bottom of the ninth. McDougal won the game by striking out Jack Crighton with the bases loaded after Clemson scored one.
White drove in two runs and finished the game 3 for 5.
WVU established an early 3-0 lead after Skylar King was hit in the opening at-bat of the game, which set the tone. Right fielder Jace Rinehart led the team in both doubles and RBIs with his 21st and 51st of the season, demonstrating WVU’s continued aggression at the plate.
Aidan Knaak, the standout pitcher for Clemson, would begin to get used to his new routine and retire the Mountaineers in order in two straight innings.
In the top of the fifth, the Mountaineers would strike gold once more. Brodie Kresser was sent home from second base by Logan Sauve’s single into right field.
Jack Kartsonas, the star player for West Virginia, was dealing. Through 5 ⅓ innings thrown, Kartsonas struck out seven, only allowing three hits and two earned runs. Not until Cam Cannaella, a potential first-round selection in the future, reached the plate for the third time and smashed a two-run home run to left field to cut the lead and ruin Kartsonas’s night.
After Kartsonas was removed, trouble quickly arose. Reese Bassinger replaced Carson Estridge, a reliable arm out of the bullpen, after he had only gotten seven pitches out.
The bottom of the sixth inning saw the substitution of Jace Rinehart out of the game.
“Jace is good,” Sabins remarked. “We had a variety of lineup alternatives, and once we took the lead (4-0), it was swiftly lost. All we were doing was playing defensive substitutes.
Cannarella would race around the bases to score from second base after Crighton took out Bassinger’s first pitch in relief to right center field. Jacob Jarrell would score Collin Priest in the next at-bat by flying out deep enough to left field. As the game entered the seventh inning deadlocked, the momentum shifted to the home crowd.
Cannarella’s incredible night continued in the bottom of the seventh. Cannarella hit an RBI double off the wall after hitting a two-run home ball in the bottom of the fifth.
After coming in from the bullpen, Meyer completed his job by preventing any additional runs from being scored. To conclude the inning and leave the bases loaded, West Virginia executed a double play.
There was a significant shift in momentum away from the home fans and in the direction of West Virginia.
The game was once again tied when Guzman, who was 2 for 4 with two RBIs, knocked an RBI double.
The Mountaineers broke the deadlock in the top of the ninth inning with their last at-bats. White’s clutch double put the Mountaineers ahead. Ben Lumsden’s RBI single would add an insurance run to the score, bringing it to 7-5. The pitch that hit King and Guzman in the next two at-bats would walk two more runs home.
Meyer walked in a run, and Clemson scored another run. Meyer got the first two batters out of the inning, but it wouldn’t matter because McDougal stepped in and struck out Crighton, allowing four batters to get on base.
According to Sabins, “all these guys came to West Virginia to play these games in the best venues in the country with the biggest crowds.” “The majority of them have improved their games in these types of settings.”
At 6 p.m. on Sunday, WVU will take on the victor of Clemson-Kentucky in the regional winner’s bracket. The game between Clemson and Kentucky is set for Sunday at noon. It is still necessary to defeat the Mountaineers twice. If they lose on Sunday night, Monday would have to be a winner-take-all match.
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