The West Virginia University baseball team earned a 3-2 win over rival Pitt in 11 innings on Wednesday afternoon at PNC Park.
WVU (23-12) grabbed the Backyard Brawl victory at the home of MLB's Pittsburgh Pirates with a collective effort on the mound, aggressive baserunning and execution on Panther miscues. Sophomore right-handed pitcher/utility Ben Abernathy earned the win, his first of the year, while Pitt's Brady Devereux took the loss for Pitt.
"It's fun for our kids to play (at PNC Park)," WVU coach Randy Mazey said. "When the game starts, it's all about winning the game, but, looking back, this is an unbelievable experience for our kids to get to play here."
Freshman right-hander Aidan Major provided a good showing in his first career start. The Mill Hall, Pennsylvania, native didn't allow a hit in 3.0, scoreless frames. He struck out five and walked four in a no decision.
The Mountaineers struck first with a run in the top of the third inning, when redshirt junior infielder Tevin Tucker scored on a wild pitch. From there, WVU left two on base in the fourth and were caught stealing home to end a scoring chance in the fifth.
Then, the Panthers (21-14) tied the game at 1 in the bottom half with a pair of two-out hits.
West Virginia quickly retook the lead in the sixth, thanks in large part to work done on the base paths. Redshirt junior catcher Dayne Leonard and freshman infielder Grant Hussey applied a double steal and each took an extra base on a Pitt throwing error. Leonard crossed home plate to give WVU a 2-1 advantage.
Pitt answered with an RBI triple to tie the game at 2 in the bottom of the sixth. However, freshman right-hander Chris Sleeper got out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts with a runner at third.
At the plate, WVU got a pair of runners in scoring position in the eighth but failed to cash in. In the ninth, the Mountaineers loaded the bases but, again, were turned away.
Moments later, fifth-year senior right-hander Trey Braithwaite got out of a bases-loaded situation with the game on the line in the bottom of the ninth. The Winchester, Virginia, native registered an inning-ending strikeout to send the game into extras.
After both teams failed to tally a run in the 10th, West Virginia found its breakthrough in the top of the 11th. With a runner on second, freshman infielder JJ Wetherholt recorded an infield single, with the go-ahead run scoring on a UP throwing error.
In all, Pitt finished with four errors in the field on Wednesday.
From there, Abernathy slammed the door in the bottom half to help WVU improve to 4-0 all-time at PNC Park. The Warrior, Alabama, native struck out two and didn't allow a hit in 2.0 innings.
Senior outfielder Austin Davis led the offensive effort with a pair of hits, while Tucker scored two runs. Additionally, WVU stole 10 bases in the win.
"We need to find a way to get hits with men in scoring position," Mazey said. "We get on base, we move around the bases, we run, we steal, but we're having a little trouble getting them in right now."
WVU used a total of seven pitchers against the Panthers. The group combined to strike out 14 batters and allow just three hits.
The Mountaineer win evens the season series with the Panthers at 1-1. The two clubs are set to meet in the rubber game on Tuesday, May 10, at Wagener Field at Monongalia County Ballpark in Morgantown.
Up next, the Mountaineers travel to Lubbock, Texas, for a three-game, Big 12 Conference series at No. 8 Texas Tech from April 22-24. First pitch of Friday's series opener is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
