WVU handles Wake Forest, advancing to Regional Final
The No. 16 seed West Virginia defeated Wake Forest 10-5 in an elimination game of the Morgantown Regional inside Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark on Sunday afternoon.
The Mountaineers will meet with Kentucky in the regional final at 5 p.m. later in the day. Kentucky defeated WVU 11-9 on Saturday night, making WVU have to beat it twice to advance to its third consecutive Super Regional.
Right-hander Dawson Montesa earned the start for the Mountaineers and did everything he needed to do. With the possibility of a game later in the day, WVU needed a lengthy outing. He fired 7.1 innings, striking out seven. He allowed just four hits and five earned runs in his 122 pitches. Montesa earned his fourth win in the biggest game of the season.
Right-hander Resse Bassinger finished the game with 1.2 innings and two strikeouts. He allowed just one hit, shutting the door on the Demon Deacons with 27 pitches.
Six Mountaineers recorded an RBI, and the team totaled 13 hits. Designated hitter Sean Smith led the charge with two RBI on three hits. Catcher Gavin Kelly recorded two hits with an RBI as well. Left fielder Ben Lumsden saw a hit and three outs, not totaling an out and scoring twice.
To begin the game, both teams saw a three-up, three-down. Montesa saw two strikeouts, and WVU put every ball in play, but right at defenders.
In the second inning, Wake Forest saw its runner with a walk and nothing more. WVU came up and got into the scoring column. Smith drove a pitch up the middle for a leadoff single, and catcher Matthew Graveline dropped a hit into center field. Shortstop Matt Ineich moved them over with a bunt before a strikeout. With two outs, a pitch was thrown to the backstop, allowing Smith to score. After a walk, Third baseman Tyrus Hall then delivered a single that the right fielder bobbled, scoring two runs.
The next inning, Wake Forest got one run back. Blake Schaaf led off with a double down the left field line, and a sacrifice bunt moved him to third base. Javar Williams grounded to Brodie Kresser at first base for an out, bringing Schaaf home. Montesa walked the next hitter, but got another groundout to Kresser to send the Mountaineers up. Nothing got going for WVU, sitting down in order.
After three innings, WVU held a 3-1 lead.
Wake Forest tied the game in the fourth inning. After a lead-off walk, Montesa surrendered an opposite-field two-run homer by Matt Conte, having him at two strikes. He retired the next three batters, adding two strikeouts. WVU put runners on, with no runs. Between two outs, Ineich singled, and Lumsden walked. Hall worked a full count, but looked at strike three, ending the inning at a 3-3 tie.
In the fifth inning, A first pitch flyout started it, then Montesa hit Williams with a pitch. A strikeout followed, before Kresser made a sliding stop on the first base line that could have scored the speedy Williams from first base for the final out. In the Mountaineers’ turn, they regained the lead. With one out, Kelly finessed a double down the right field line. He was brought in by a single from Smith past the diving shortstop with two outs.
Montesa saw a one-two-three sixth inning, then WVU added to its lead. Ineich and Kresser got on with singles, then Lumsden burned the left fielder for a double, scoring Ineich. With no outs, a pitching change occurred with runners on second and third base. Hall worked a walk, loading the bases, and WVU started to go station to station. Guzman and Kelly totaled singles for an RBI each. Center fielder Paul Schoenfeld then brought in a run with a sacrifice fly. In the next at-bat, Guzman was hung up at second base, but a throw into center field let him motor home. Smith then scorched a double to the right-center field wall for another run.
Going into the seventh inning, WVU led 10-3.
Wake Forest wasn’t going down without a fight. In the first pitch of the seventh, Andrew Costello lasered a home run over the left field wall. Montesa came back with a strikeout and groundout, then allowed a walk. After a stolen base and in a 3-2 count, Montesa got a swinging strikeout, getting a standing ovation from the crowd. A walk from Lumsden was all the Mountaineers got in the bottom half.
Montesa returned for the seventh inning and worked a quick out. He then allowed a double to Dalton Wentz, ending his start. Bassinger entered the game and induced a grounder to Ineich, but his throw was wide at first base, putting runners on the corners. Basinger threw a wild pitch, allowing a score, then got a groundout. He then needed just three pitches for a strikeout.
With nothing happening in WVU’s turn, it led 10-5 ahead in the ninth inning.
Bassinger returned and induced a groundout to himself. He struck out the next batter before Williams dropped a double in front of a diving Schoenfeld. A groundout to Hall ended the game.
Offer Alert
Fall camp is here and there’s no better time to sign up with us to get all your WVU intel! Sign up today – $1 for the first week, plus a complimentary year of access to The Athletic included. Join – http://gowvu.us/Join
__________________________________________
• Talk about it with West Virginia fans on The Blue Lot
• SUBSCRIBE today to stay up on the latest on Mountaineer sports and recruiting
• Get all of our WVU videos on YouTube by subscribing to the WVSports.com Channel
• Follow us on Twitter: @WVSportsDotCom, @rivalskeenan
•Like us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok
