West Virginia Drops Series Opener in Waco

West Virginia produced three runs in the fourth for an early advantage, but the Baylor Bears (11-6, 1-0) responded with five runs in the bottom of the frame and held off the Mountaineers (11-4, 0-1) for a 7-5 decision to grab the first game of a three-game series Friday night.

West Virginia starting pitcher Dawson Montesa put two aboard in the bottom of the first but came away unscathed. The right-handed junior loaded the bases in the second after issuing a pair of walks and yielded a single to redshirt freshman Brytton Clements. Then, redshirt junior Travis Sanders hit a ground ball deep in the hole at short to scratch a runner across for a 1-0 Baylor lead.

The Mountaineers tied the game in the third when junior Tyrus Hall worked a leadoff walk and sophomore Matt Ineich rolled a single through the left side on a hit and run to place runners at the corners before sophomore Gavin Kelly brought in the tying run, hitting into a double play.

In the fourth, senior Brock Wills flared a one-out double to left centerfield and senior Sean Smith hit a high fly ball to right-centerfield that was lost in the lights and dropped for a double. Then, sophomore Armani Guzman laid a bunt over to first and outran sophomore reliever Zack Wallace for an RBI single. Hall followed with a sacrifice bunt out in front of the plate for an RBI and after Guzman stole third, sophomore Gavin Kelly lined RBI single to cap off a three-run fourth and a 4-1 WVU lead.

Baylor responded in the bottom of the frame, seizing the lead with five runs. After Montesa issued his fifth and sixth walk of the game, WVU head coach Steve Sabins called in senior reliever Reese Bassinger from the bullpen.

Clements loaded the bases with a single back up the middle, sophomore Cade Dawson Sanders brought in the first run with a single to right field and Sanders followed with a line drive to shallow centerfield for a two RBI single, tying the game. Then Person Riebock hit a hard ground ball past first, just out of the reaching of senior Brodie Kresser, to bring in the go-ahead run before redshirt senior Tyce Armstrong hit a sacrifice fly ball to right field to give the Bears a 6-4 lead.

West Virginia senior reliever Carson Estridge took the mound in the fifth. With two outs on the board, Dodson hit a hard line drive to left field and it was lost in the lights for a triple and Sanders hit a ground ball over to short for an RBI single.

Smith hit a leadoff home run in the sixth to pull the Mountaineers within two 7-5.

Ineich cut the deficit to one when he drove the 2-1 pitch over the right field wall for a solo home run – the only hit in the final three innings of the Baylor bullpen as the Mountaineers fall short 7-6.

West Virginia and Baylor will meet for game two on Saturday. The first pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. EST and the action will stream on ESPN+.