MORGANTOWN, WV – Freshman right-handed pitcher Corey Walter pitched a nine-inning complete game, but the West Virginia University baseball team fell to Rutgers 6-4 on Friday evening at Hawley Field.
“Corey had his normal stuff; a pitcher is only going to have his best stuff once a year,” coach Greg Van Zant said. “I thought he did a good job because he only walked one. They knocked him around a little bit and he needs to change speeds, but he’s gotten better and he continues to work on it. When he throws his changeup more and gets hitters off-balance, he’ll be even better.”
Walter (2-4) went the distance for the first time in his career in his first BIG EAST game, allowing six earned runs on 12 hits. Walter only walked one and struck out five Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers starter Rob Smorol earned the win, allowing five runs on seven hits in six innings. Jerry Elsing earned his second save in as many days with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Mountaineers (27-25, 13-13) finished with five runs on nine hits with one error. Rutgers (20-29, 11-15) scored seven with 12 hits and three errors.
Sophomore Matt Malloy (3 for 4) and redshirt senior Grant Buckner (3 for 5) accounted for six of WVU’s nine hits. Sophomore Brady Wilson, freshman Ryan McBroom and redshirt senior Colin Durborow all had a hit apiece. Malloy finished with one double and three runs scored, while Buckner extended his reaching base streak to 46 games, unofficially the fourth longest streak in the nation.
Rutgers opened the game with three runs in the first two innings to take the early 3-0 lead. Rutgers had three-consecutive singles in the first to score one, while Brian O’Grady scored on a triple by Bill Hoermann in the second inning. Hoermann scored in the next at bat off a Jeff Melillo ground out to short stop.
West Virginia got on the board in the second inning when Durborow doubled to left field, scoring Malloy from second. Malloy singled to center field to open the frame.
Malloy scored his second run of the game in the fourth inning to bring the score to 3-2 off an RBI ground out to third base by McBroom. Malloy led off that inning by smacking a double down the left field line for his second hit of the game.
After Rutgers scored three in the top of the sixth, West Virginia answered with a three-run home run from McBroom to bring the score to 7-5. Redshirt senior Jeremy Gum led the rally by getting hit by a pitch for the 22nd time this season. Malloy then recorded his third hit of the evening on a successful hit and run. Senior Justin McDavid advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt to third base, his third of the game. McBroom followed with his third home run of the season that went off the batter’s eye in straightaway center field.
Leadoff hitter Michael Lang led Rutgers at the plate with a 4-for-5 performance, including a double, one run and one RBI. Lang left the game in the top of the ninth with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. Nick Favatella went 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI, while Melillo was 2 for 4 with a run and two RBIs.
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