BECKLEY, W.Va. - WVU Tech baseball split a River States Conference doubleheader with Indiana University Kokomo on Saturday at Linda K. Epling Stadium, earning a 4-1 win in game one before falling 7-2 in the nightcap. With the split, the Golden Bears won the three-game series 2-1 and moved to 13-27 overall and 4-17 in River States Conference play.
Game 1 - WVU Tech 4, IU Kokomo 1
WVU Tech grabbed control early in the opener, plating two runs in the first inning. Gabe Templeton was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a single by Jake Tompkins before Reece Patterson brought him home on a fielder's choice. Tyler Mackey then scored on a JJ Polvinale RBI single to give the Golden Bears a 2-0 lead.
IU Kokomo got a run back in the third after Caden Whitehead tripled and later scored on a passed ball, but WVU Tech answered in the fifth. Cody Cooper singled to start the inning, and Ethan Dylan Turner delivered an RBI single to center field to stretch the lead to 3-1.
The Golden Bears added an insurance run in the eighth. Nolan Copeland worked a walk, Carson Brown moved him over with a sacrifice bunt, and Zachary Hunt doubled to right field to bring home Carson Crigger, who had entered as a pinch runner.
Marco Viteri Moran turned in one of his strongest outings of the season, earning the win after allowing just one run on four hits over 7.0 innings while striking out six. WVU Tech's bullpen preserved the lead from there, with Aidan McGlothlin, Tate Martino, Clayton Hargus and Cameron Lynch combining to finish the final two innings. Hargus recorded two strikeouts in 0.2 innings, and Lynch got the final out with the bases loaded.
Game 2 - IU Kokomo 7, WVU Tech 2
IU Kokomo came out fast in game two, scoring four runs in the first inning and adding another in the second to build an early cushion. The Cougars added two more runs in the fifth and held WVU Tech quiet until the sixth.
The Golden Bears broke through in the bottom of the sixth. Maximiliano Arroba singled to center, Tyler Mackey entered as a pinch runner, and Maddex Sims drew a walk before Cody Cooper ripped a two-run double to left to bring Tech within 7-2. That would be the final scoring of the afternoon.
WVU Tech finished with three hits in the second game, with Cooper, JJ Polvinale and Arroba accounting for all three. On the mound, Dale Boone gave the Golden Bears 3.2 innings of relief and allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits while striking out three. Jonas Franti followed with 1.1 scoreless innings and struck out two, and Andrew Lynch and Luke Richards also combined for a scoreless finish.
Golden Bear Highlights
Game 1
- Marco Viteri Moran - Win, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 6 K
- Zachary Hunt - 2-for-3, double, RBI
- Cody Cooper - 2-for-4, run scored
- JJ Polvinale - 1-for-4, RBI
- Ethan Dylan Turner - 1-for-1, RBI
- Clayton Hargus - 0.2 IP, 2 K
- Cameron Lynch - 0.1 IP, save-clinching final out
Game 2
Season Leaders
Through 40 games, WVU Tech is batting .276 as a team with 229 runs, 332 hits and 93 extra-base hits on the season.
Gabe Templeton leads the Golden Bears with a .330 batting average, adding 36 hits, 29 runs scored and 18 walks. Jake Tompkins paces the team with 35 RBIs, 34 hits and four home runs, while JJ Polvinale has added 32 hits and 19 RBIs. Maddex Sims has contributed 35 hits, nine doubles, two triples, two home runs and 21 runs scored, and Cody Cooper has recorded 32 hits, eight doubles and 17 RBIs. Angel Leiva is batting .326 with 30 hits and nine RBIs.
On the mound, WVU Tech owns a 1.98 WHIP. Marco Viteri Moran leads the staff with 43 strikeouts, Braedan Pakkala has 39, Cameron Lynch has 37, and Tate Martino has added 33. Defensively, Angel Leiva, Joshua Tibbits, Nate Wolfe, Mason Everhart, Ethan Dylan Turner and several others own perfect fielding percentages, while Jake Tompkins has handled 230 total chances at a .983 clip.
What's Next
WVU Tech returns to action Tuesday, April 14, with a road game at Davis & Elkins College at 1 p.m. The Golden Bears then head to Indiana University Columbus for a three-game River States Conference series beginning Friday, April 17, at 3 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday, April 18, at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.
