From the handle to the bristles for WVU baseball

Tech (29-13, 12-9) didn’t pound the ball as it did in its previous two wins, but got a pair of bookend solo homers, one in the second and one in the eighth, to go along with an RBI groundout. That was enough to make a winner of Kyle Robinson (4-4), who struck out a season-high nine while getting crucial third outs in key situations. Relievers Zach Erdman and Jacob Rogers teamed up to keep the Mountaineers off the board in the eighth and ninth, although the Mountaineers put runners on third (and in one case, just inches short of the plate) in the final two frames. Rogers earned his first save of the season.

WVU (23-16, 11-7) again came out on the short end of a pair of reviews. The first came when Grant Hussey was initially ruled safe on a force play at second base, but bumped into shortstop Tracer Lopez, who then threw wildly to first. Upon review, Hussey was correctly ruled out, but was also adjudged to have interfered with his throw, which also meant that runner Brodie Kresser was out at first. That wound up costing the Mountaineers at least one run, as a walk and a pair of hits pushed Ben Lumsden home immediately following the double play.

In the eighth, Reed Chumley tried to score from first on Kyle West’s double, but was thrown out at the plate by a whisker, with the call being confirmed by replay.

Tyler Switalski got the start for WVU, but gave up two runs, two hits and two walks to seven batters before being replaced by Hayden Cooper, who was mostly excellent. He went six innings while allowing just three hits and no runs, but in the bottom of the eighth grooved one to Kevin Bazzell, who took it deep over the left field wall to increase the Tech lead to 3-1.

Michael Perazza had two of the Mountaineers’ eight hits.

WVU next travels to Penn State for a Wednesday, April 24 game at Medlar Field, with first pitch set for 5:30 p.m. The Nittany Lions are 19-17 overall and 6-9 in the Big 10 after salvaging the last contest of a three-game set against Michigan State on Sunday.

SEAMS AND BARRELS

WVU has now played six doubleheaders on the season. It has split four of them, sweeping one and being swept in the other.

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West Virginia’s below average speed in the outfield continues to hurt its defensive effort, as it has to play deeper to protect the gaps, thus opening up more short holes and making for longer runs to get to balls through the infield. Tech hitters twice got doubles on the weekend on what should have been routine singles to the outfield.

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The Mountaineers managed only seven runs in three games against a decidedly average Texas Tech pitching staff, leaving 22 runners on board in Sunday’s doubleheader.

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WVU has to be a bit concerned with its overall win total. The Mountaineers’ 23 win outpaces only four other Big 12 teams, and while raw wins are by no means the only factor in determining postseason seeding or participation, there’s no question that it was one big factor in keeping them out of the NCAAs in 2022.