Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Armani Guzman delivered a game-winning single in the 10th inning that scored Brodie Kresser and lifted No. 1 seed West Virginia to a 6-5 victory over No. 3 seed Kentucky on Monday night, clinching the Morgantown Regional and sending the Mountaineers to the Super Regionals for the third consecutive year.
Dawson Montesa (4-4) picked up the win for the Mountaineers (43-15). After leaving Saturday’s game after 36 pitches due to muscle spasms, Maxx Yehl got the start. He pitched five innings and gave up one run on three hits. Ian Korn and Chansen Cole were the other WVU pitchers used.
Guzman recorded three hits, scored two runs, and drove in another. Gavin Kelly added two hits and crossed the plate three times, while Paul Schoenfeld finished with two hits and two RBIs. Matthew Graveline contributed two hits, drew a walk, and drove in a run.
Jack Bennett (2-4) suffered the loss for the Wildcats (33-23).
WVU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Kelly scored on a dropped third strike. The Mountaineers doubled the lead in the third when Schoenfeld’s grounder with the infield in plated Guzman.
Kentucky pulled within 2-1 in the fourth when Hudson Brown hit a solo home run to right field.
The Mountaineers added two runs in the fifth inning as Schoenfeld had an RBI single before Graveline doubled home a run to extend WVU’s lead to 4-1. In the sixth, Kelly homered, pushing the lead to 5-1.
Korn pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh inning before running into problems in the eighth. With two outs, Korn gave up back-to-back singles before Brown blasted a three-run home run. Next, Ethan Hindle hit a solo home run to tie the game 5-5, forcing Steve Sabins to call on Cole from the bullpen to get the final out.
In the ninth, Cole stranded a runner on second in before Montesa came in to pitch during the middle of the 10th and stranded a pair of runners to keep the game tied.
Brodie Kresser led off the 10th with a single and Ben Lumsden walked. Then Guzman blasted a 2-0 pitch into center field that dropped in before a diving Jayce Tarnish. Kresser scored, sending the Mountaineers into the Super Regionals.
Kelly, Guzman, Lumsden, Cole, Montesa, and Tyrus Hall were named to the All-Tournament Team.
WVU will play Cal Poly at home for the Super Regionals and a chance to advance to Omaha. Dates, sites, times and broadcast information for the Super Regionals will be released via press release and social media approximately 10 am ET, Tuesday.
