After playing from behind for the first two-thirds of the game, West Virginia scored a single run in the bottom of the ninth to knock off the Catamounts. The makeup of the winning run was the dream scenario for head coach Greg Van Zant, who saw Tyler Kuhn lead off with a bunt single, move to second on Jedd Gyorko's sacrifice, then speed home on Chris Enourato's hit to right.
In addition to the continued rallies staged by the Mountaineers, who trailed by margins of 4-0 and 7-3, junior pitcher Ross Fetterly was the standout performer. After WVU hurlers yielded seven runs to WCU in the first fived innings, Fetterly allowed just one hit after coming on with two outs in the sixth. He struck out four, but did walk three batters and hit two others.
Trailing 4-0, WVU got on the board in the third inning with three runs. Tyler Kuhn doubled in one, and freshman standout Gyorko followed with a two run double to bring the Mountaineers within one. a double play ended the rally.
The Catamounts added a single run in the fourth and two more in the fifth, but Fetterly came on
in relief of starter Matt Yurish to record a strikeout and end the threat. That was the first, albeit unnoticed, turning point in the game, as Fetterly, although allowing baserunners in each of the next three innings, battled out of jams and kept WCU off the scoreboard for the remainder of the contest.
At the plate, WVU continued its rallying ways, scoring two runs in the fifth. Kuhn (sacrifice fly) and Gyorko (RBI single) again did the damage, pulling WVU within two. That gap was erased an inning later, when Jordan Yost doubled in Austin Markel and later scored on Justin Parks' single. The game then progressed through scoreless seventh and eight innings before West Virginia's final rally in the ninth.
West Virginia (3-2) hosts Marshall at noon on Saturday before facing tournament host Coastal Carolina at 4 p.m.