By: Shanna Rose
STILLWATER, Oklahoma.–The West Virginia baseball team kicked off Big 12 play on Sunday afternoon with an 8-6 win over Oklahoma State at O’Brate Stadium.
The Mountaineer pitching staff struck out 19 batters in the game, the most since 1965 and tied for the third most in a game in program history. Chase Meyer picked up the win for WVU (16-1). He tossed 3.2 hitless frames and struck out nine.
Griffin Kirn got the nod for the Mountaineers and struck out eight in 3.1 innings.
Ryan Ure suffered the loss for the Cowboys (9-8).
Jace Rinehart hit the game-winning home run in the seventh. Gavin Kelley hit his first career home run and Kyle West had a home run and three RBI.
In the bottom of the second, Oklahoma State got a run back and took a lead in the fourth after a pair of home runs gave them a 4-3 lead.
The two teams traded single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings and the Cowboys had a 6-5 lead.
In the seventh, Sam White’s sacrifice fly plated a run before Rinehart blasted an opposite-field two-run home run to put WVU on top.
Meyer took control and retired the final eight batters of the game.
The Mountaineers return to home on Tuesday, March 18, against James Madison. First pitch from Kendrick Family Ballpark is set for 6:30 p.m.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
