GRANVILLE — A cold and rainy series-opener against Minnesota started out poorly for West Virginia Friday, but the Mountaineers found their offense in the middle innings to notch a 15-7 win at a rain-soaked Mon County Ballpark.
The first of a three-game set between the Mountaineers (8-4) and Golden Gophers (2-12) was moved up three hours in an attempt to avoid forecasted rain in the area. The schedule change ultimately proved to be a fruitless endeavor as the teams had to battle through off-and-on precipitation all afternoon.
“You’ve just got to ignore it,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said of the weather. “We practice in it all the time, this is not unusual for us to come out and play on a day like (Friday). We’ve been in these conditions before so I don’t think it affected us nearly as much as it affected them.”
Neither starting pitcher looked sharp as WVU’s ace, Ben Hampton, lasted just four innings while allowing five runs on 10 hits. Minnesota starter Tucker Novotny struggled to throw strikes, walking five in four innings while also allowing five runs, three earned. Minnesota’s defense suffered the most, however, as twice the Golden Gophers had outfielders drop catchable fly balls that led to runs for the Mountaineers.
“It wasn’t easy to pitch today, their pitcher walked a bunch of guys,” Mazey said. “Not an easy day to pitch, not an easy day to play and both teams had to tough it out today. We were able to put the bat on the ball in the middle of the game and get a big lead.”
WVU trailed 5-2 in the middle of the fourth inning, scoring both of their runs up to that point without recording a hit. Center fielder Barden Barry doubled home Tevin Tucker, who reached on a triple in the bottom of the frame before second baseman J.J. Wetherholt hit a deep fly ball into left field. Minnesota’s outfielder dropped the ball and then made an errant throw to the infield that allowed Barry to score and Wetherholt to come the whole way around, tying the game at 5-5.
After tying the game, Mazey turned to Robby Porco out of the WVU bullpen, who turned in four innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts and just two free passes.
“We go down 5-2 in the (fourth) inning, they have 10 hits to out three or four, so things didn’t start all that great,” Mazey said. “Thank goodness we’ve got a pretty deep bullpen and a pretty deep bench and we can move some guys around. Porco came in a did a really nice job of stopping the bleeding when it had a chance to get sideways on us.”
WVU took its first lead of the contest when Tucker singled home Grant Hussey in the bottom of the fifth and Wetherholt later hit a two-run home run to left field that made it a 9-5 advantage.
It was Wetherholt’s fifth home run on the year and gives him a hit in all 12 ballgames WVU has played this season. The left-handed sophomore added a two-RBI triple later in the game, giving him 24 hits in 12 games with 14 RBI. Both of his hits Friday came off of southpaws.
“He sees the ball just as well out of a left hand as he does out of a right hand,” Mazey said.
Wetherholt finished with a triple, home run and four RBI while Tucker had four hits, two RBI and scored four times and Barry hit two doubles and drove in two as well.
Porco got the win as Jake Carr closed out the ninth inning.
Leading the Golden Gophers was shortstop Brady Counsell, son of Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell, who had four hits and two RBI.
The series continues Saturday at Mon County Ballpark with first pitch set for 2 p.m.
West Virginia 15, Minnesota 7
Minn 130 100 011 — 7 13 4
WVU 020 345 01x — 15 13 2
Minnesota — Novotny (1K, 5BB), Capomaccio lp (5) (2K, 2BB), Rooney (6) (1K, 1BB), DeLuga (7) (1K, 1BB) and Swenson. Counsell 3S, D, 2rbi; Mezzenga S, rbi; Hunt 2S, rbi; Larson 2S, D; Merila 2S; Berkland S, rbi.
WVU — Hampton (2K, 3BB), Porco wp (5) (5K, 2BB), Carr (9) (2K, 1BB) and Sauve, Ramppen. Barry 2D, 2rbi; Wetherholt T, HR, 4rbi; Barone rbi; McNeely 2S; Hussey rbi; King rbi; Dowdell S, rbi; Tucker 3S, T, 2rbi.
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