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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Morehead State's offense found its spark in designated hitter
Drew Williams on Tuesday night at Appalachian Power Park. Williams' first homer of the season, a two-run drive in the seventh, powered the Eagles to a 7-5 win over Big East Conference foe West Virginia.
The Eagles used a four-run seventh, capped by the Williams round-tripper, to top the Mountaineers. Catcher
Eric Bainer and third baseman
Andrew Deeds recorded consecutive base knocks in the inning, and the pair scored on a sacrifice fly and RBI single from shortstop
Chase Greenwell. West Virginia reliever Josh Harlow allowed the seventh-inning runs and took the loss.
The Mountaineers registered the first runs of the game, scoring three in the bottom of the third. Eagle starter
Garrick Whittle allowed two walks in the frame, including a lead-off walk to third baseman Nate Antone. Antone advanced to third on a walk and wild pitch, before scoring on a squeeze play by centerfielder Bobby Boyd. WVU plated its second run on a sacrifice fly to right.
The Eagles trailed 2-0 entering the fourth inning, but manufactured two runs off Mountaineer starter Caleb Ross, who issued four walks in three innings. Greenwell began the inning with a single to right field and moved to second on a Williams free pass. Centerfielder
Duran Elmore followed the walk with a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. They came home on an RBI single by second baseman
Jeff Birkofer and a sacrifice fly to right by left fielder
Nick Duff.
MSU first baseman
Cole Cleveland continued to display his hot bat at the plate, driving in the go-ahead run in the third. Cleveland fired a line drive down the left field line, sticking an RBI double in the corner, scoring Deeds from first. Deeds entered the week ranked second in Division I baseball in hits and went 1-for-2 against the Mountaineers, with two stolen bases and a pair of walks.
WVU erased the Eagle lead in the fifth. Mountaineer catcher Alan Filauro knocked a lead-off single through the left side to start the inning. Right fielder Brady Wilson dropped a bunt that hugged the first base line and reached first, moving Filauro to second, and a wild pitch sent him to third. Filauro came home for the tying score on a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield by Matt Frazer.
Whittle walked six and threw four wild pitches in 5.2 innings. He left the game in the sixth after allowing the Mountaineers to plate their fourth run. Filauro drove in the run on an RBI single to left centerfield.
Senior
Matthew Robertson replaced Whittle when he reached the 105-pitch mark. Robertson threw a pitch in the dirt, to the first batter he faced, that caromed off the backstop and allowed WVU to score the second run of the inning and take a 5-3 lead.
Robertson earned the win, his first of the season. He tossed 2.1 scoreless innings of relief and fanned three.
Closer
Matt Duncan notched his seventh save this season. He entered the game in the ninth and recorded to quick out before allowing a single to shortstop John Polonius. Duncan issued a two-out free pass and got the final out on a strikeout looking.
Morehead State returns to Ohio Valley Conference action this weekend when it welcomes Jacksonville State to Allen Field for a three-game series. The Eagles and Gamecocks are scheduled to play on Friday at 5 p.m. ET, Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
