Trending
ATLANTA, GA - Redshirt junior catcher/outfielder Vince Ippoliti's two-run home run in the top of the 10th inning helped catapult the No. 14-ranked West Virginia University baseball team to a 5-3, season-opening win over Georgia State on Friday afternoon at the GSU Baseball Complex in Atlanta, Georgia.
With one out and a runner on first, Ippoliti blasted a ball over the left-field wall to give the Mountaineers a two-run advantage in the 10th, before junior right-handed pitcher Madison Jeffrey was able to shut the door in the thrilling victory. WVU finished with five runs on nine hits with three errors, while GSU tallied three runs on seven hits with no errors.
The win marked WVU's third Opening Day triumph in the last four seasons. Jeffrey earned the win, while GSU's Mason Patel took the loss.
"It has been so long since we played baseball, we figured we'd play extra innings on the first day out," WVU coach Randy Mazey said. "I think we got six new guys into the game today in different roles to see what they are capable of doing. All the new guys did a good job; we just have to get veteran leadership.
"You could tell we've been inside a lot. We didn't catch a couple pop ups, but the pitchers attacked the strike zone, and it's good to get a win and have everybody feeling good about themselves. We have to get better every time out, and we usually do, so, I'm just glad we could get a win when we don't play well."
Senior infielder Tyler Doanes finished 3-for-4 with a run in the win, while redshirt senior outfielder Hudson Byorick and Matt McCormick tallied two hits apiece. Paul McIntosh and Ippoliti each registered two RBI. On the mound, WVU pitching combined to strike out 15 batters on Friday.