MARION, N.C. – WVU Tech baseball earned a doubleheader split Saturday at Big League Camp, falling 12-6 in game one before bouncing back with a 19-5 win in the nightcap against Fisher (Mass.).
The Golden Bears stand at 2-5 overall.
Game 1 – Fisher 12, WVU Tech 6
WVU Tech traded momentum throughout the opener and briefly grabbed a 4-3 lead in the fifth, but Fisher used a six-run sixth inning to pull away.
The Golden Bears opened the scoring in the third when Jake Tompkins brought home Maddex Sims with an RBI groundout for a 1-0 lead. Fisher responded with three runs in the bottom half to move in front, 3-1.
WVU Tech answered in the fourth as Gabe Templeton doubled home a run to cut the deficit to 3-2, then surged back ahead in the fifth. Joshua Tibbits delivered the big swing with a two-run double to put the Golden Bears on top, 4-3.
Fisher came back with three in the bottom of the fifth to regain the lead, then broke the game open with six runs in the sixth. WVU Tech continued to compete at the plate, pulling within one run in the sixth on a sac fly by Sims, then adding another run in the seventh on Zachary Hunt's sac fly.
Templeton led the way with a 2-for-3 day and an RBI, while Carson Crigger went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Game 2 – WVU Tech 19, Fisher 5
WVU Tech's offense erupted for 19 runs in the second game, scoring in every inning from the first through the seventh.
The Golden Bears struck first in the opening frame, highlighted by RBI hits from Cody Cooper and JJ Polvinale to build a 3-0 lead. Fisher answered with a run in the second, but WVU Tech kept pouring on runs, including a solo home run by Sims in the third.
Tech's biggest burst came in the fourth, pushing the lead into double digits behind a three-RBI single from Polvinale, plus additional RBI opportunities created by patient at-bats and pressure on the bases.
In the seventh, WVU Tech capped the scoring with five more runs, including a three-RBI double from Tompkins and a two-RBI double from Nate Wolfe.
Sims finished 3-for-4 with four runs and a homer, Polvinale went 2-for-2 with five RBIs, and Tompkins drove in five with a pair of doubles.
On the mound, Braedan Pakkala started and Cole Brown earned the win in relief. Jonas Franti and Tate Martino combined to finish the final 3.2 innings and limit Fisher to two runs over that stretch.
Golden Bear Highlights
Stat Leaders (through 7 games)
- JJ Polvinale: .412 AVG, 7 H, 5 R, 6 RBI, .560 OBP
- Maddex Sims: .318 AVG, 6 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .500 SLG
- Jake Tompkins: team-high 7 RBI, 2 doubles, .375 SLG
- Joshua Tibbits: .333 AVG, 5 R, .538 OBP
- Team notes: 39 walks, 12 hit by pitch, 17 stolen bases, .415 OBP
What's Next
WVU Tech continues the series with a Sunday doubleheader against Fisher (Mass.) in Marion, N.C., with first pitch set for 11 a.m. The Golden Bears then return home to open the Linda K. Epling Stadium schedule Feb. 21-22 against Lawrence Technological University.
