West Virginia University baseball fans got another dramatic win Saturday night as the Mountaineers pulled off a thrilling 9-6 victory over Clemson in the NCAA Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. With the win, WVU is just one game away from a second straight trip to the Super Regionals.
Clutch moments defined the night. In the ninth inning, Sam White delivered a crucial double that sparked a four-run rally, breaking a 5-5 tie and giving WVU a 9-5 lead. Closer Ben McDougal later sealed the win by striking out Clemson’s Jack Crighton with the bases loaded.
“Tonight was filled with great individual efforts,” said head coach Steve Sabins. “We started strong, fell behind in the middle, and came back in the ninth with a big finish.”
White went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and helped flip the momentum just when Clemson seemed in control.
The game began with a bang for WVU. Skylar King was hit by a pitch in the first at-bat, and Jace Rinehart followed with his 21st double and 51st RBI of the season, as WVU jumped out to a 3-0 lead. In the fifth, Logan Sauve’s single brought home Brodie Kresser to extend the lead to 4-1.
On the mound, Jack Kartsonas was sharp early, pitching 5⅔ innings with seven strikeouts and only two earned runs. But things took a turn in the fifth when Clemson’s star Cam Cannarella launched a two-run homer to cut WVU’s lead and knock Kartsonas out of the game.
From there, WVU’s bullpen had its ups and downs. Carson Estridge and Reese Bassinger couldn’t stop Clemson’s momentum, allowing the Tigers to tie the game 5-5 by the seventh inning.
Cannarella continued his standout performance with a go-ahead RBI double in the bottom of the seventh. But reliever Chase Meyer limited the damage and got help from WVU’s defense, which turned a double play to end the threat.
With momentum shifting again, Armani Guzman tied the game at 5-5 in the eighth with a clutch RBI double. Then came the ninth inning heroics: White’s double, Lumsden’s RBI single, and two bases-loaded hit-by-pitches to Guzman and King stretched the lead to 9-5.
Clemson managed one more run in the bottom of the ninth after a walk with the bases loaded, but McDougal shut the door with a strikeout, preserving the win.
Guzman finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. WVU’s offense came alive when it mattered most, and its pitching held up just enough to secure the win.
“Games like this are why these players came to West Virginia,” said Sabins. “Big crowds, top venues—and our guys delivered.”
Now, the Mountaineers will face the winner of Sunday afternoon’s Clemson-Kentucky matchup. WVU needs just one more win to advance to the Super Regional. If they lose Sunday night, a decisive winner-take-all game will be held Monday.
WVU’s postseason dreams are alive and well—and this team is proving it knows how to shine under pressure.
