MORGANTOWN — A four-run sixth-inning rally and seven strong innings from the bullpen propelled the WVU baseball team to a 9-6 victory over the Niagara Purple Eagles on April 3, at Monongalia County Ballpark.
The Mountaineers (11-14) rallied with a four-run sixth inning while holding the Purple Eagles (7-13) to one run on three hits in the final six innings. WVU scored nine runs on 14 hits, while N.U. (7-13) plated six runs on 11 hits. Each team committed one error.
WVU trailed, 5-1, with no outs in the third inning, before junior righty Braden Zarbnisky, sophomore right-hander Sam Kessler and senior righty Shane Ennis pitched the final seven innings and held Niagara to one run on three hits.
“Unbelievable,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said of his bullpen’s performance. “We had a plan going into this game, like we always do pitching-wise, but that got thrown out the window when they go up 5-1. You have to bring your best guys in there. Those guys, our best guys, have been pitching the best, but they can’t pitch every game. So, we have to have somebody else out of that bullpen step up and pitch some quality innings for us. In order to do that, they just have to watch the guys who are pitching really well and do what they do.”
Kessler picked up the win, pitching 1 2/3 shutout innings and allowing one hit with a pair of strikeouts and no walks. Ennis earned the save, the second of his career, while allowing no hits in the final 2 1/3 innings with three strikeouts.
Zarbnisky got the bullpen’s strong outing going, pitching three innings and allowing a run on two hits with three strikeouts and no walks. Offensively, while starting the game as the designated hitter, he had a hit, drove in two runs, scored two runs and walked twice. Zarbnisky gave the Mountaineers a 1-0 lead in the first inning, when he stole home.
Sophomore center fielder Brandon White had a career-high four hits with two RBIs, while junior right fielder Darius Hill had three hits and scored two runs.
WVU stays home for a weekend series against UNLV, starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday April 6. Several promotions are planned for this weekend, beginning with Friday Night Happy Hour, with beverages half off from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday April 7, fans can watch the WVU football spring game, at 1 p.m., and the baseball game, at 4 p.m., with a special $15 ticket.
