Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
LYNCHBURG, Va. — No. 25 West Virginia split a Saturday doubleheader at Liberty, riding another dominant pitching performance to a 2-0 win in the opener before falling 4-1 in the series finale.
The Mountaineers move to 5-1 on the season, while the Flames sit at 3-3.
Game 1: WVU 2, Liberty 0
WVU’s pitching staff delivered its second straight shutout to start the day, limiting Liberty to three hits and allowing just one runner past second base.
Redshirt junior Maxx Yehl struck out six over four innings, surrendering only a single, before turning it over to Ian Korn. The D-II transfer gave up two of his first three batters but then retired eight straight, finishing three scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
Senior Carson Estridge added a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning, and freshman David Perez closed with three strikeouts in 1.1 innings. Perez also struck out former Mountaineer Nick Barone with two on and two out in the eighth to escape the Flames’ biggest threat.
After four scoreless frames, WVU broke through in the fifth. Sean Smith doubled down the right field line and Schoenfeld scored to give the Mountaineers a 1-0 lead. The back-to-back doubles from Paul Schoenfeld and Smith marked the second straight day the duo keyed the offense.
WVU added insurance in the sixth when Armani Guzman hit into a double play, scoring Gavin Kelly. Kelly had reached base with a single and later went first-to-third before being brought home on the twin killing.
The Mountaineers managed just three runs across 18 innings on the day, a stark contrast to Friday’s 12-run outburst, but the pitching made it stand.
Game 2: Liberty 4, WVU 1
Liberty did its damage early in the nightcap.
After allowing just eight hits across the entire series, WVU pitchers were tagged for a bases-loaded triple in the second inning against right-hander Dawson Montesa, giving the Flames a three-run cushion.
The Mountaineers answered in the fifth. Matt Ineich hit an opposite field double down the line with two outs in the fifth, plating Brock Wills and pushing Brodie Kresser to third, but the rally died there. Wills finished with three hits in the second game.
Liberty regained a three-run lead in the sixth on a sacrifice fly, and WVU’s final push came in the ninth. The Mountaineers loaded the bases with no outs and brought the go-ahead run to the plate, but three straight strikeouts ended the game.
The Mountaineers return home for their opener at Kendrick Family Ballpark on Wednesday, Feb. 25, against Ohio. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
