Morgantown, WV – West Virginia’s dominant performance on Tuesday night secured a 7-0 victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd. Juniors Chase Swain and Skylar King, along with sophomore Armani Guzman, each contributed two RBIs to lead the Mountaineers (20-3) to their 20th win of the season.
The game started with an early scoring opportunity for West Virginia in the bottom of the first inning. After Marshall’s starting pitcher, Fenix DiGiacomo, issued three consecutive walks to load the bases, King capitalized with a sacrifice fly to left field, putting the Mountaineers ahead 1-0.
West Virginia extended its lead in the second inning when Swain launched a solo home run to lead off the inning, making it 2-0.
The Mountaineers then erupted for a four-run third inning. King drove in another run with a sharp single up the middle. With runners on the corners, Jace Rinehart executed a double steal, swiping home plate to add another run. Swain followed up with an RBI single, and Guzman capped the scoring burst with another base hit into right field, pushing the lead to 6-0.
On the mound, freshman starter David Hagen delivered an impressive outing, tossing four scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and striking out one.
The bullpen maintained the shutout effort as senior right-hander Tyler Hutson pitched two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Freshman Mac Stiffler took over in the seventh, followed by junior Robby Porco in the eighth. Freshman Bryant Yoak started the ninth inning before junior Ben McDougal came in to secure the final two outs, preserving the shutout.
West Virginia added one final insurance run in the eighth inning. Freshman Gavin Kelley hit a hard ground ball to third base, forcing an error by Marshall’s senior infielder Eddie Leon, allowing another run to score and sealing the 7-0 victory.
With the win, the Mountaineers continue their strong start to the season and will look to carry the momentum into their next matchup.
