Baseball: WVU Drops Slugfest

By Grant Dovey for WVUsports.com
March 18, 2011 07:05 PM

Brady Wilson

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – In an offensive duel, the West Virginia University baseball team fell 16-12 against Canisius on Friday evening in the first game of a four-game series at Hawley Field.

With the game at 13-12 in Canisius’ favor to begin the ninth, the Golden Griffins were able to tack on three runs on three hits, highlighted by an Andrew Russo double to left center scoring Drew Pettit and Sean Jamieson to put the game out of reach.

Pettit, Jamieson and Will Chomicki each went 3-for-5 with three runs scored apiece. Pettit and Jamieson also each had home runs. Russo finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored.

WVU sophomore Brady Wilson highlighted WVU’s offensive efforts with a 2-for-4 performance and four RBIs. Redshirt junior Dan DiBartolomeo went 1-for-4, including a home run and three RBIs. Redshirt senior Mark Dvoroznak also had a solid day at the plate batting 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run.

Starter Jonathan Jones (2-2) took the loss for the Mountaineers, allowing seven runs and nine hits in 5.1 innings pitched. Freshman Ryan Tezak pitched three innings of relief, giving up four runs on five hits.

Canisius starter Garrett Cortright scored a no-decision, giving up three earned runs on four hits in 4.2 innings pitched. Josh Marshall (1-0) earned the victory with 1.1 innings pitched, allowing six runs and seven hits. Tim Seil earned the save with three innings pitched. Seil let up two hits and two runs.

West Virginia (10-8) finished with 12 runs on 13 hits, with one error, while Canisius (5-10) posted 16 runs on 17 hits, committing two errors. Both teams combined for eight extra base hits.

Canisius took a quick 2-0 lead after home runs from Jamieson and Pettit in the first and second innings, respectively. It was both player’s second of the season with Jamieson going to left field and Pettit’s traveling over the left center field wall.

The Golden Griffins also scored runs in the fourth and fifth innings to bring the lead to 5-0.

The Mountaineer bats came alive in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs on three hits. Chris Rasky walked to lead off the inning, followed by a Kevin Griffin single through the left side. Colin Duborow came in to pinch hit and put down a sacrifice bunt that the pitcher made a fielding error on to load the bases. Dvoroznak followed with a full-count single into left field that drove home Rasky and advanced the runners a base. Griffin then scored on a sacrifice fly by Wilson to center field. Justin McDavid came to the plate and drove a double to left field that scored Durborow, while Dvoroznak scored the final run of the inning after DiBartolomeo reached on a throwing error by the third baseman.

After Canisius scored four in the top of the sixth to once again extend the lead to 9-4, while Mountaineers scored four in the bottom of the sixth to cut the deficit to 9-8. Pinch hitter Ryan McBroom singled to right field to start the inning. Griffin then doubled to left field, followed by a Durborow single to left that scored McBroom and advanced Griffin to third. Wilson drove Griffin in with a single to center field, while a single through the right side from McDavid scored Durborow with McDavid advancing to second on the throw. DiBartolomeo drove in the final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Wilson from third.

The Golden Griffins were once again able to score runs in the top of the seventh, padding the lead to 12-8 in favor of Canisius.

West Virginia again made a rally in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs and bringing the game to 12-11. Back-to-back singles from Gum and McBroom to lead off the inning and Durborow getting hit by a pitch led to a bases loaded ground out by Dvoroznak that scored Gum. Duborow and McBroom scored on the following play after Wilson singled up the middle.

Both teams added one run in the eighth, with the Mountaineers scoring on DiBartolomeo’s home run to left field, before Canisius’ three in the ninth brought the final to 16-12.

The Mountaineers return to action tomorrow at 1 p.m. with a doubleheader against the Golden Griffins at Hawley Field.

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