West Virginia defeated BYU 7-4 on March 19 in the first game of a three-game Big 12 baseball series at Kendrick Family Ballpark.
The matchup saw West Virginia, ranked No. 20, improve its record to 14-4 while BYU moved to an even 10-10. West Virginia scored seven runs on nine hits and left ten runners on base. BYU managed four runs from five hits and stranded five.
West Virginia took control early by scoring four runs in the second inning through a combination of walks and hits. BYU responded in the fifth inning with a solo home run by catcher Ridge Erickson, narrowing the gap to 4-1. The Mountaineers extended their lead to 7-1 in the sixth inning after singles and a home run by Gavin Kelly.
Easton Jones was a standout for BYU, going two-for-four with two home runs and three runs batted in. He hit his first homer in the seventh inning and added another—a two-run shot—in the ninth that also brought Bryker Hurdsman home after he reached base on a walk. Despite this late surge, West Virginia closer David Perez struck out the final two batters to secure the win.
The teams are scheduled to play again on Friday, March 20 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ as well as available through BYUradio.org and the BYU Radio app.
This series marks an important test for both teams as they continue conference play.
