The West Virginia Mountaineers held off a late rally to secure a thrilling 9-8 victory over the Houston Cougars on Saturday evening at Schroeder Park, clinching the weekend series. With the win, WVU improves to 29-4 overall and 9-3 in Big 12 play, while Houston drops to 19-16 and 5-9 in the conference.
Freshman Gavin Kelly and junior Sam White led the charge offensively, each tallying three hits. Kelly drove in two runs, while White crossed the plate twice. Senior Kyle West and redshirt junior Chase Swain also chipped in with two RBIs each.
Houston struck early with three runs in the first inning, but West Virginia quickly responded in the second. Senior Grant Hussey knocked in a run on a groundout, followed by Kelly’s two-run double to even the score at 3-3.
Swain kept the momentum going with a two-run triple in the third—his second triple in back-to-back games—giving WVU the lead. Houston answered with one in the bottom half, but West responded in the fourth with a two-run double to stretch the Mountaineer lead to 7-4.
In the fifth, WVU took advantage of a Houston error and a single from junior Skylar King to add two more runs. However, Houston narrowed the gap with a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning, followed by another run in the seventh to bring the score to 9-8.
With the bases loaded and the game on the line in the seventh, junior Carson Estridge came in from the bullpen and escaped the jam, preserving the one-run lead. The eighth inning featured a clutch defensive play from Hussey, who threw out the tying run at home on a relay from shortstop.
Estridge returned in the ninth and retired the side in order, earning his second save of the season.
West Virginia will aim for a sweep of the series on Sunday, with first pitch set for 12:30 p.m. ET.
