Five combined runs in first and ninth innings led the West Virginia University baseball to a 7-3 victory over Northwestern in opening game of the season at the Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“I’m extremely happy to get a win especially under the circumstances,” coach Greg Van Zant says. “Max Nogay caught his first game at any level of baseball and did a tremendous job. Corey Walter got us to the fifth inning and Danny Dierdorff came in and pitched great. He threw his offspeed pitches well and made big pitches when he had to.”
The Mountaineers (1-0) had 10 hits by six different players and one error, while Northwestern (0-1) had 13 hits and no errors.
Danny Dierdorff earned his first career win coming in for starter Corey Walter during the fifth inning. Dierdorff pitched 4.1 innings, allowing just one run on four hits with three strikeouts.
In his first career game, former Weirton Madonna baseball, wrestling and football standout Max Nogay shined as a catcher with no passed balls and a 1-for-2 performance at the plate with a double and two runs.
“The real story of the day is Max catching his first game of baseball,” Van Zant says. “He redshirted last season and caught in the bullpen, but he has never caught a real game of baseball. There are not enough words to describe how well he did.”
Nogay who red-shirted last season, finished his senior season at Madonna with a .455 batting average with 11 home runs, 47 RBI and 47 runs scored. Nogay was a Big East Academic All-Star and a Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll member. Before college, Nogay also pitched in high school. He went 4-0 with an ERA of 2.28 in five starts his senior year. Nogay was also a two-time state wrestling champion and first-team all-state quarterback in 2010.
Offensively, Ryan McBroom led the team with a 3-for-5 performance with two runs and an RBI, while Matt Frazer and John Polonius each had two hits. Frazer had two RBIs and one run, while Polonius had one RBI. Brady Wilson also scored two runs with one RBI in three at-bats.
The bats came alive in the first inning highlighted by a two-run double down the right field line by Nate Antone to put WVU up 2-0. Wilson began the inning by getting hit by a pitch, followed by an infield single to shortstop by McBroom. Wilson and McBroom each scored on Antone’s double.
Walter appeared to get in a jam to start the bottom half of the inning after a lead off ground rule double by Kyle Ruchim and a single from Zach Morton. Walter was able to induce Paul Snieder into a 6-4-3 double play to only score Ruchim and stop the damage.
Nogay added a run in the top of the second after hitting a double down the right field line in his first career at-bat. Nogay scored on a ground out up the middle by Wilson to bring the lead to 3-1.
Nick Linne gained back a run for Northwestern in the bottom of the second after scoring on a bases loaded walk to Ruchmin, bringing the score to 3-3. Walter was able to end the inning with another double play, this time a 4-6-3.
Polonius recorded his first career RBI in the top of the eighth on a single through the left side that scored McBroom.
In the ninth, Matt Frazer brought the WVU lead to 6-2 on a single to right that appeared to be caught by Morton at second base, who had the ball fall out of his glove. Wilson and Nogay each scored on the play. McBroom then drove in Frazer to give WVU a 7-2 lead on a double to left field.
Walter allowed two runs on nine hits in 4.2 innings of work. He also struck out one in the no decision.
Morton pitched six innings for the Wildcats in the loss, allowing three runs on six hits. Snieder and Michael Jahns pitched the final three innings for Northwestern.
Linne went 3-for-4 with one run, while Ruchim, Morton, Jack Havey and Luke Dauch each had two hits for Northwestern.
The Mountaineers return to action tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m., with a game against Penn State at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Pa., and will play three games in a span of 24 hours.
Photo Credits: Metronews Sports Now
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