By: Shanna Rose
ARLINGTON, Texas- Griffin Kirn pitched a complete game as the top-seeded West Virginia baseball team downed No. 8-seeded Cincinnati to advance to the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship at Globe Life Field.
The senior southpaw gave up three runs on eight hits while striking out nine. It was Kirn’s first complete game of the season.
Brodie Kresser knocked in three runs for the Mountaineers (41-13). Grant Hussey and Gavin Kelly both had two hits. Kyle West hit a home run and drove in two runs.
Jack Natili was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. He went 4-for-4 with a home run and two doubles for the Bearcats (32-24).
Kirn walked the first batter of the game, who then scored on Natili’s double to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
In the fourth inning, West tied the game with one swing of the bat as he blasted a 409-foot home run to right field. Jace Rinehart struck out but reached base on a wild pitch. Then Sam White was hit by a pitch and Logan Sauve walked to load the bases. Spencer Barnett gave WVU a 2-1 lead with an infield single.
Grant Hussey’s line drive base hit to the pitcher, which struck Cincinnati pitcher Adam Buczkowski in the face. After a pitching change, Kresser’s sacrifice fly gave the Mountaineers a 4-1 advantage. With the bases loaded once again, West walked.
In the bottom of the inning, the Bearcats cut the deficit to 5-3.
In the sixth, Kresser singled through the left side, scoring Kelly. White’s base hit through the right side gave WVU an 8-3 lead.
However, the Mountaineers weren’t done there and tacked on two more runs in the seventh.
In the eighth, Kirn came back out and gave up a leadoff double to Natili before retiring the next six batters he faced.
This is WVU’s first win in the Big 12 Tournament since the 2021 season, as they were 0-6 in their last three seasons during Big 12 Tournament games.
The Mountaineers advance to the semifinals to take on No. 4-seeded Arizona on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. (ET).
Photo credit: Shanna Rose, BGS
