The West Virginia Mountaineers baseball team is heading back to the super regionals after pulling off a jaw-dropping 13-12 comeback win against Kentucky in the Clemson Regional.
Ranked No. 24, WVU found themselves down 12-7 in the bottom of the eighth inning but weren’t ready to go home just yet. In a stunning rally, they scored six runs in the eighth to seal the victory and move one step closer to the College World Series.
The game-winning hit came from none other than Armani Guzman, who was named the regional MVP. Guzman’s clutch single brought in the final run, capping off the Mountaineers’ six-run surge.
“More than just myself, it shows the team we all have it,” said Guzman. “I was a guy who didn’t play the last month and a half and now I’m here in this position.”
It was a wild, back-and-forth game full of momentum swings. WVU jumped ahead early with a solo home run from catcher Logan Sauve in the first inning. But Kentucky, fresh off a 16-run performance against Clemson, quickly responded with a five-run second inning, capitalizing on shaky Mountaineer pitching.
WVU starter Robby Porco struggled and was pulled after loading the bases in the second. Reliever Reese Bassinger gave up a two-run double to Devin Burkes and a two-RBI single to Cole Hage as Kentucky took the lead.
The Mountaineers didn’t back down. In the fourth, they exploded for six runs. A fielding error, a two-RBI single from Ben Lumsden, and another two-RBI hit from Guzman turned the tide back in WVU’s favor. Guzman was dominant all weekend, going 8-for-12 with six RBIs over three games.
But Kentucky answered again. Hudson Brown’s RBI tied the game, and WVU’s bullpen woes continued. Ben McDougal hit two batters and walked another, allowing Kentucky to reclaim the lead. Later, Brown crushed a home run that stretched the Wildcats’ advantage.
Yet WVU’s offense wasn’t done. In the bottom of the eighth, they mounted their final and most critical comeback. Sam White drew a bases-loaded walk to push across a run. Then, with two outs, Gavin Kelly and Lumsden each delivered RBI singles, scoring four more to tie the game. That set the stage for Guzman’s game-clincher.
Griffin Kirn closed it out on the mound, shutting down Kentucky’s last hopes in the top of the ninth.
Head coach Steve Sabins, who led WVU to its second straight super regional, called the series one of the most memorable experiences of his career.
“That’s the three best set of games I’ve ever been a part of as a player or a coach in my life,” Sabins said. “Heroic plays, heroic performances, heroic at-bats — it’s the best television you could have watched for three straight games.”
With grit, heart, and timely hitting, the Mountaineers are moving on — and doing it in unforgettable fashion.
