West Virginia falls just short of super-regional and ends 2024 season

It was a must-win game for West Virginia in game two of their Super Regional against No. 4 North Carolina on Saturday night from Boshamer Stadium.

West Virginia fought to the bitter end, but their season came to an end when they lost 2-1 to North Carolina, falling in their first-ever Super Regional appearance.

The Mountaineers struggled to get the offense going all night, but loaded the bases in the 9th inning before falling just short and ending their season.

Tyler Switalski took the mound as tonight started as last night ended. Vance Honeycutt took the first pitch he saw from Switalski, 300 feet to left field, for a leadoff home run as North Carolina led 1-0. Switalski settled in from there, retiring the next eight batters before facing Honeycutt with two outs in the third inning.

This time, instead of showing off his power, Honeycutt reached base on a bunt-single, using his speed to get up first. He then advanced to third base on a single, before scoring on a single by Parks Harber as UNC led 2-0.

That would be all the damage the Tar Heels could do against Switalski through the first six innings as he was able to keep West Virginia in the game.

Through the first five innings, WVU’s offense had just one hit, a single by Brodie Kresser. Unfortunately for WVU, Kresser would eventually leave after blocking his hand while stealing second base. Through the first six innings, WVU hit a few balls hard, including putouts on the warning track off the bats of both JJ Wetherholt and Skylar King, but UNC starting pitcher Jason DeCaro would have a commanding presence on the mound and the Mountaineers were unable to to do that. find him out.

Through six innings, DeCaro had walked two, allowed one hit and struck out four. In addition to Honeycutt’s damage, Switalski matched DeCaro through the first six innings as both pitchers entered the late innings.

With one out, two runners reached base against Switalski in the seventh, as a walk with one out was followed by a single. That would be the end of the line for Switalski, who gave way to Carson Estridge out of the bullpen with one out and runners on first and second.

Estridge struck out Alex Madera before Colby Wilkerson was hit on an 0-2 pitch to load the bases for Honeycutt. Estridge won the battle with the match seemingly in the balance, as he got Honeycutt to swing a strike to end the threat and leave the bases loaded.

In the bottom of the inning, WVU’s offense was finally able to put something together. It started with Reed Chumley hitting a hard single. He then advanced to second base when Spencer Barnett, who replaced Kresser, walked with two outs. It was then Kyle West who picked up where he left off yesterday with an RBI single, narrowing the deficit to 2-1.

DeCaro left the game after Chumley’s single and handed the ball to Dalton Pence. Pence eventually allowed the hit to score Chumley, but struck out Ben Lumsden to end the inning, leaving two runners behind.

Estridge stayed on in the eighth inning and retired the side on 12 pitches before walking Harber with two outs. Harber stole second base, but Estridge struck out Gavin Gallaher to end the threat.

WVU would threaten one last time in the ninth, but couldn’t pull through. Sam White singled ahead of Grant Hussey, and Kyle West eventually walked to load the bases with two outs. However, Ben Lumsden would hit a ground ball to the UNC first baseman as the Tar Heels clinched a trip to the College World Series.

Saturday’s loss marked the end of Randy Mazey’s career. Mazey took WVU to heights it had never reached before. In 2017, WVU made their first-ever regional, followed by a regional in 2019 in Morgantown. Mazey also took the Mountaineers to the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons, as well as to their first Super Regional in program history this season. Mazey is responsible for building a new ballpark and the first Big 12 regular season title in WVU history.