KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — West Virginia survived allowing four runs in the first inning Saturday, with Brodie Kresser and Jace Rineart both collecting three hits to lead the Mountaineers to an 11-7 victory against Queens (N.C.) inside Atrium Health Ballpark.
WVU (10-0) remained undefeated on the season with the third game of the four-game series scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday.
The Royals scored four runs against WVU starter Robby Porco off a solo home run from Anibal Rivera to lead off the inning, followed by RBI hits from Lenox Lively and Justin Hudson.
The Mountaineers took the lead for good in the second inning after Kresser scored two with a double, Rineart walked with the bases loaded and Sam White and Logan Suave scored on wild pitches.
Armani Guzman hit a solo home run in the third inning and Rineart, a former North Marion standout, followed with an RBI single that scored Sauve for an 8-4 lead.
WVU tacked on three more runs in the eighth inning with an RBI single from freshman Gavin Kelly, Jorge Valdes stole home on a double steal and Kelly scored on Spencer Barnett’s ground ball.
Chase Meyer picked up the win in relief of Porco. He went three innings, but also struggled. He allowed three hits, three runs and two walks for his second victory of the season.
Carson Estridge picked up his first save by going 5 2/3 innings. He allowed three hits, no runs and no walks.
Friday’s game
WVU 7, Queens (N.C.) 1
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Griffin Kirn had his best outing of the season, going eight innings, striking out 10 with one walk and one unearned run to lead the Mountaineers to a win.
Kirn threw 96 pitches, 72 of which were strikes.
Kresser reached base five times, which included two doubles and two RBIs. He also added a run scored and a stolen base.
White added three hits, while Sauve drove in two runs.
Queens took an early lead with a run in the first. Kirn settled in after that, at one point retiring 14 straight hitters that came to the plate.
The Mountaineers (9-0) scored two runs in the fifth to take the lead. Guzman hit a sacrifice fly to score junior Skylar King, who had to evade the tag at the plate, before Kresser had his first RBI double of the night.
In the seventh, Kresser had his second run-scoring double before coming around to score himself on a single by Sauve. Two more runs in the eighth and one in the ninth provided extra insurance for the Mountaineers.
Kirn was cruising at that point and ended his night with three strikeouts in the eighth. Freshman Benjamin Hudson closed out the game with a scoreless ninth.
