The WVU baseball team avoided a sweep on the road at Oklahoma with a huge rally on Sunday.
The Mountaineers had a two-game winning streak going before hitting the road to visit Big 12 Conference foe Oklahoma for a weekend series. West Virginia had actually lost seven of its last 10 games before Sunday, so a win was needed to boost the team morale before heading back to Morgantown.
A seven-run first inning by the Sooners looked to derail any momentum the Mountaineers hoped to gain. But shortly after, the visitors found some ammunition at the plate.
With 10 unanswered runs, the WVU baseball team pulled off a 12-7 victory over the Sooners behind a 14-hit performance.
West Virginia is now 20-18 overall and 6-8 against Big 12 teams.
As solid as the Mountaineers’ appeared to be at the plate, it was a solid pitching effort by freshman Michael Grove that secured the win.
Grove came on in relief of starter BJ Myers, who only lasted 0.2 innings after surrendering seven earned runs on six hits. Grove, a native of Wheeling, W.Va., went the remaining 8.1 innings and did not allow a run. He had 13 strikeouts and gave up just four hits.
"“This one goes to Michael Grove for sure,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “After a seven-spot (in the first inning), to come in and strike out 13 in the last eight innings, who knew? That’s a premium Big 12 pitcher right there in Michael Grove.”"
This was Grove’s 11th appearance for the Mountaineers this season, but just his first victory on the mound. Grove has started two games before, but has mainly came on in relief appearances. He has one save, also.
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Grove was backed up by two-run home run by Ray Guerrini and a grand slam by Cole Austin.
As momentum for the stretch run of the season was certainly a goal in this series, the Mountaineers managed to salvage some silver linings in this one.
The WVU baseball team is right in the middle of the Big 12 Conference standings and still remain a game ahead of the Sooners, who are 6-9 in the conference standings.
Texas Tech is 12-3 and in first place in the Big 12, while TCU is 10-5 and in second place.
West Virginia’s next game is against in-state rival Marshall on Tuesday.