WVU Shuts Out Cats to Take Series

Saturday, April 21

Morgantown, W.Va.

3 p.m.

Kansas State University

16-23, 2-12

West Virginia

19-17, 4-7

Kansas State

West Virginia

Apr 21, 2018 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (.pdf)

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Three West Virginia pitchers combined for a four-hit shutout of K-State Saturday at Monongalia County Ballpark, as the Mountaineers claimed the series with a 6-0 victory.

West Virginia (19-17, 4-7 Big 12) did all its damage in the third and fourth innings, scoring two in the third before a four-run fourth broke the game open. Mountaineers starter Kade Strowd struck out seven over 5 2/3 innings and allowed two hits and seven walks in picking up the win.

K-State (16-23, 2-12 Big 12) had base runners in every inning but never got a runner past second base. Junior Rainer Ausmus had two of the Wildcats' four hits and the Cats were 1-for-12 with runners on base.

The Mountaineers racked up 12 hits off three Wildcat pitchers, led by first baseman Marques Inman's 3-for-4, two-RBI day. Designated hitter Chase Illig hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning of K-State starter Caleb Littlejim.

Littlejim, who was tabbed for his second loss of the season, went three innings and allowed five earned runs on seven hits.

Wildcats reliever Hudson Treu went a season-high four innings and allowed just one earned run on five hits while striking out four.

West Virginia scored the game's first runs in the third off Littlejim. A sacrifice fly from Brandon White and then a two-out double from Inman made the score 2-0.

WVU's four-run fourth began with four consecutive base hits, including Illig's homer, off Littlejim. Inman delivered his second RBI double of the game in the inning, as the Mountaineers registered four extra-base hits in the inning. All nine Mountaineers came to bat in the inning against Littlejim and Treu.

Neither team scored after the fourth inning and each stranded nine runners in the game.

Leadoff hitter Will Brennan began the game with a single and John Sorensen added a pinch-hit single to round out K-State's four hits.

Two WVU relievers combined to throw the final 3 1/3 innings, allowing two hits and one walk.

K-State drew eight walks and struck out nine times in the game. It was the fifth time the Cats have been shut out this season.

K-State and West Virginia wrap up the three-game set Sunday at 12 p.m. CT from Monongalia County Ballpark. A free live stream is available at wvusports.com/watch. Fans can listen live on KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM) and streaming live on kstatesports.com.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

K-State scored no runs on four hits without an error and left nine runners on base. West Virginia scored six runs on 12 hits and committed no errors and stranded nine baserunners.
Ausmus led the Wildcats with two hits, going 2-for-4.
K-State drew eight walks in the game and had base runners on in every inning.
The Cats got their leadoff man on base in four of nine innings.
K-State was 1-for-12 (.083) with runners on base and 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
WVU was 5-for-14 (.357) with runners on and .333 (3-for-9) with runners in scoring position.
West Virginia had four extra-base hits in its four-run fourth.
Strowd struck out seven and walked seven for the Mountaineers.

NOTES

West Virginia now leads the all-time series, 10-7, dating back to 2012 when WVU joined the Big 12.
WVU owns a 95-88 edge in total runs scored in the series.
K-State is now 2-6 all-time in Morgantown.
The Wildcats are 0-8 on the road in conference play and have now lost their last nine league games overall.