West Virginia Drops Opening Round Game to Indiana

The Mountaineers commit multiple errors in a 12-6 lopsided loss to the Hoosiers

Lexington, WV - The West Virginia Mountaineers (39-19) battled Indiana and trailed by a run heading into the ninth inning, but the Hoosiers produced a five-run ninth inning for a crushing 12-6 loss in the opening round of the 2023 NCAA Championships. 

Landon Wallace gave the Mountaineers the early advantage with an opposite field solo home run in the bottom of the first, but the Hoosiers quickly responded in the top of the second. 

Josh Pyne worked a leadoff walk, then the Mountaineers appeared to lineup a 6-4-3 double play, but the throw was wide and put runners at second and third before Hunter Jessee received a four-pitch walk to load the bases. 

WVU starting pitcher Blaine Traxel struck out consecutive Hoosiers, but Phillip Glasser scored two with a base hit through the right for a two-RBI single as Indiana claimed a 2-1 lead. 

Indiana added a run in the third when Bobby Whalen hit a leadoff double into the gap in right centerfield, moved to third on a sacrifice fly before taking home on a wild pitch.

West Virginia tied the game at three in the bottom half of the inning. Dayne Leonard smacked a leadoff single back up the middle. Indiana starting pitcher Luke Sinnard left the game with an arm injury during Logan Sauve's first appearance at the plate. 

Brayden Risedorph took the mound for the Hoosiers. The freshman got off to a rocky start, beaning two Mountaineer hitters to load the bases before Landon Wallace received the RBI walk, then Caleb McNeely lifted a sacrifice fly to right field for the game-tying RBI. 

The Mountaineers reclaimed the lead in the fourth after Braden Barry drove a leadoff triple into right-centerfield, but it would take a double steal following a two-out walk from Logan Sauve to get Barry home for the 4-3 advantage. 

In the top of the fifth, Indiana scored three runs with the help of the Mountaineers. Peter Serruto dropped a single into centerfield and Phillip Glasser reached on a well-placed bunt down the third base line, then Bobby Whalen's bunt back to Traxel ended on an errant throw scoring the first run. Devin Taylor delivered the second run with a sacrifice RBI to centerfield and a wild pitch scored Whalen as the Hoosiers grabbed a 6-4 lead. 

Dayne Leonard hit a two-out single into right field and Logan Sauve tripled into the right field corner, scoring Leonard and getting WVU back within a run, 6-5. 

Indiana tacked on a run in the eighth after Carter Madison hit a leadoff double and a sacrifice fly from Hunter Jessee put the Hoosiers back up two. 

West Virginia got back within a run in the bottom of the frame when Garcia worked a one-out walk Dayne Leonard smacked a double to put runners at second and third and a sacrifice ground ball from Sauve got the Mountaineers within a run once again. 

However, Indiana put five runs on the board in the ninth highlighted by a two-run home run from Pyne as the Hoosiers pummeled the Mountaineers 12-6. 

West Virginia will take on Ball State in the loser's bracket on Saturday with the first pitch set for noon. 

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