Offending battles return in WVU’s Huge 12 Competition loss to
After getting a win in the Big 12 Quarterfinals on Thursday, the Mountaineers looked more like the group that got swept by Kansas instead of the group that beat Cincinnati, as their Big 12 Competition run ended with a 12-1 loss to Arizona on Friday.
No. 1-seeded West Virginia’s offense has carried them throughout the majority of their season, however since they hit their losing skid, the bats have actually gone cold and remained that way against the Wildcats.
The Mountaineers struck into three double plays on the evening, as the 2 offenses were polar revers in WVU’s loss.
No. 4-seeded Arizona got on the board on a huge launch the bat of Mason White in the very first inning. White assailed WVU starter Jack Kartsonas on a 3-1 count, taking a fastball the other method for a 409-foot crowning achievement. White would eventually end Kartsonas’ day on the mound as he struck a three-run home run in the 5th inning, as that was the last pitch Kartsonas threw as Arizona took a 5-0 lead.
Kartsonas would not be his normal self that the Mountaineers had seen in recent weeks. He struggled to throw strikes consistently, as his pitch count quickly rose and the Wildcats took advantage.
On the other side, Arizona starter Raul Garayzar had the ability to shut down WVU’s bats. Garayzar was making his 6th start of the season, getting in the day with a 2.45 AGE. He was simply that good, as the Mountaineers couldn’t piece anything together.
WVU left a runner on base in each of the very first three innings, and then in the 4th, the inning ended on a double play as Spencer Barnett hit a rocket right to Arizona very first baseman Tommy Splaine, who then stepped on the bag to double off the runner on first.
After the Wildcats added three in the 5th, their offense didn’t stop there. In the 6th, they included 2 more as after 2 outs, Arizona went walk, single, walk, single, scoring 2 more runs in the procedure as they led 7-0.
In the bottom of the inning, WVU would get a leadoff single, before Ben Lumsden ripped a ball, however right into a double play.
Garayzar’s day ended with him throwing 6.0 innings, allowing no operate on six hits, setting out three while doing so.
Arizona didn’t slow down on offense in the seventh, as their two-out success continued. The Wildcats added two more work on a two-run double from Aaron Walton, taking a 9-0 lead. Arizona included another run as White provided once again with an RBI single.
The Wildcats ended the afternoon going 9-for-17 with two outs, and then 7-for-15 with runners in scoring position. West Virginia went 4-for-12 at the plate with two outs, and the Mountaineers did not get a runner into scoring position until the seventh inning.
The run would score as Chase Swain was able to drive in Armani Guzman with an RBI single to ideal field, coming off the bench.
Arizona would continue to mash in the ninth, as White would remain scorching hot at the plate. He taped his fourth hit and sixth RBI of the night on a double in the ninth, scoring another run.
Up next for West Virginia is learning their NCAA Competition fate on Monday. They will likely be a two-seed when the tournament begins next weekend.