MORGANTOWN — Sophomore right-hander Alek Manoah pitched shutout ball for seven innings and the WVU baseball team blanked Canisius, 2-0, on March 17, at Mon-ongalia County Ballpark.
The Mountaineers (9-8) will go for the series sweep in today’s 1 p.m. finale.
Manoah had his best start of the season, giving up three hits in seven innings. He struck out a career-high-tying seven batters and walked four.
For the Golden Griffins (10-6), starter Charlie Sobieraski gave up a two-run home run to WVU sophomore catcher Chase Illig, in the first inning, but did not allow another run. In seven innings, he gave up three hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
“It was a tough day to pitch, a tough day to hit,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “So, you have to make the most of your runs on offense, and every out you get on defense becomes precious on a day like today.
“We did a really good job out of the bullpen. Both guys out of the pen pitched great. We actually swung the bats OK. We had their outfielders running back to the fence a bunch today. So, I’m pleased all the way around.”
WVU freshman left-hander Jackson Wolf and sophomore righty Sam Kessler held Canisius hitless in the final two innings. Kessler got the final two outs of the game to pick up his team-leading fourth save of the year.
Illig’s fourth home run of the season paced the Mountaineers. No player on either team had more than one hit on the day.
The Mountaineers’ two-run first inning started with a single by junior left fielder Braden Zarbnisky. Illig homered to the WVU bullpen in right field.
Zarbnisky has reached base in a career-high 13 consecutive games, a streak that began with the final three games of the
2017 season. He had one hit and two walks Saturday.
WRESTLING
CLEVELAND, Ohio — WVU 125-pounder Zeke Moisey earned an eighth-place finish at the NCAA tourney.
Moisey, a redshirt junior, took a medical forfeit over Ronnie Bresser, of Oregon State, and finished the three-day tournament with a 4-3 record.
Moisey earned his team-leading 26th win of the season Friday, as he upset No. 7 seed Taylor LaMont, of Utah Valley, in the fourth round of wrestle-backs.
Redshirt senior Jacob A. Smith and redshirt freshman Matthew Schmitt joined Moisey at the NCAA championships, and led WVU to a 30th-place finish with 11.5 team points.
Smith lost to Nate Rotert, of South Dakota State, in Friday’s third round of wrestle-backs at 197 pounds, concluding his career as a four-time NCAA qualifier. He racked up 92 career wins in a Mountaineers singlet.
Schmitt’s tournament run also came to an end in Friday’s third round of wrestle-backs, at 133 pounds. He lost a decision to Jack Mueller, of Virginia.
GYMNASTICS
The Mountaineers close their regular-season slate with a five-team meet at Towson, at 2 p.m. today.
The Mountaineers (9-10) will compete against the host Tigers (11-14), N.C. State (15-7), Cornell (15-7) and William & Mary (3-11).
The Mountaineers are 1-0 against the field this season, having defeated Towson, 195.4-194.0, on Jan. 21, at the WVU Coliseum.
GOLF
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — After spending spring break practicing in the southern states, the Mountaineers resume competition today and Monday, at The Hayt Invitational, at Sawgrass Country Club.
Hosted by North Florida, the 15-team field also features Auburn, Tennessee, North Carolina, Liberty, Central Florida, Washington, Lipscomb, Jacksonville, Purdue, Furman, Coastal Carolina, Louisville and North Texas.
Golfers will play 36 continuous holes on the first day of action on the par-72, 6,966-yard course. They will resume competition for the final 18 holes Monday.
Sawgrass was formerly home to the PGA Tour’s Tournament Players Championship. It has also played host to Senior Players Championship.
Max Sear, Etienne Papineau, Matthew Sharpstene, Tristan Nicholls and Marx Goetz will represent the Mountaineers.
Sear enters the tourney boasting a team-best 72.47 scoring average.
TRACK AND FIELD
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Mountaineers copmpeted in four events on the final day of the two-day
49er Classic, which featured 89 schools/teams from around the country.
Redshirt freshman Kyrielle Williams paced WVU with an 11th-place finish in the high jump. Williams leaped 1.58 meters (5 feet, 2.25 inches)
On the track, redshirt freshman Antigone Archer tallied a 15th-place finish in the 3,000 meters. The Southlake, Texas, native crossed the finish line in 10:29.59.
Redshirt sophomore Andrea Pettit also participated in the 3,000, registering a 44th-place finish, in 11:43.41. In the 200 meters, freshman McKenna Smith placed 18th, in 24.85, while senior Meghan Jean-Baptiste (25.96) finished 63rd.
Redshirt senior Rebecca Wendt competed in the women’s
WOMEN’S SWIMMING
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Sophomore Morgan Bullock finished 15th (1:54.77) in the 200 butterfly and junior Emma Harris was 27th (2:10.32) in the the 200 breaststroke at the NCAA championships.
