Another West Virginia Walk-Off

The Mountaineers score three runs in the ninth to even series with Buckeyes

The West Virginia Mountaineers (9-5) evened the three-game weekend series with the Ohio State Buckeyes (5-8) following a three-run ninth inning, including a walk-off single from senior Austin Davis in game two of a doubleheader, marking their sixth comeback win of the season, and the second walk-off win this week.

“Sometimes a team kind of takes an identity, wouldn’t that be cool if our identity was winning the game in the ninth inning,” said head coach Randy Mazey. “That doesn’t make it really easy on anyone especially the old people in the dugout, but when a team starts believing that they can win games late, that’s a pretty fun team to coach.”

The game was scoreless through five innings before the Mountaineers started connecting on Buckeyes starting pitcher Nate Haberthier, who had only given up one hit heading into the sixth.

Austin Davis reached on a one-out single through the left side, setting up a two-run home run from J.J. Wetherholt. Then, Victor Scott singled into right field, stole second and third and took home on a wild pitch to give West Virginia a 3-0 lead.

Buckeyes head coach Greg Beals went to his bullpen and got out of the inning with reliever Nate Karaffa.

Ben Hampton tossed six scoreless innings for the Mountaineers, only allowing four hits, but in the top of the seventh, consecutive singles by the Buckeyes to start the inning was enough for head coach Randy Mazey to call out to his bullpen for the senior right-hander, Chase Smith. Two pitches into his appearance, a grounder up the middle got the runner out at second but the Mountaineers couldn't turn the double play, leaving runners at the corners. Mazey then turned to his Preseason All-Big 12 Reliever Jacob Watters. However, with two outs, Tyler Petteroni went opposite with a two RBI double down the left field line before Marcus Ernst followed with an RBI single for a three-run seventh inning to tie the game.

“Hampton was cookin’,” said Mazey. “The wind was blowing out still when he was pitching and a couple of their hitters scared me a little bit. He could have gone longer but they got the second hit in that inning to make first and second nobody out which scared me, and Chase Smith came in and threw one pitch and got a ground ball that was huge. And then Watters came in and got a big strikeout but then, give them credit. They got two really big hits with two strikes.”

West Virginia starting pitcher Ben Hampton / Christopher Hall - Sports Illustrated: West Virginia

Ohio State posted two runs in the eighth to regain the lead, and an insurance run in the ninth to extend the advantage to two but it would not be enough to take the series from the Mountaineers.

Freshman Grant Hussey worked a leadoff walk, but Tyler Cox took his place on a fielder’s choice before a balk moved him to second, and Dayne Leonard put runners on the corners with a one-out single. Then, with two outs and Nathan Blasick pinch-hitting for Tevin Tucker, he delivered a two-RBI single, tying the game at six. Ben Abernathy came in to pinch-run for Blasick and proceeded to second, then third, setting up Austin Davis for the win.

“I tell those guys all the time, you don’t have to be a great hitter to be a great offensive player. There’s other things you can do to really help the offense… We got so many guys that have different roles on this team, I’ve never had that where you can pinch run guys, pinch hit guys and everybody is sliding into a really good spot right now.”

Davis was staring at a full count with two outs and the winning run just 90-feet away.

“I talked to coach Sabins before my AB, he was like, ‘stay calm, I know the crowd is in the background’, Adrenalin was rushing,” said Davis. 

Davis answered the call, ripping the RBI single for the walk-off as the Mountaineers split the doubleheader with the 7-6 win.

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