06/16/26 05:13:00
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06/16 17:12 CDT West Virginia cools off Troy's hot bats to keep its College
World Series run going with a 12-0 win
West Virginia cools off Troy's hot bats to keep its College World Series run
going with a 12-0 win
By ERIC OLSON
AP Sports Writer
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) --- Dawson Montesa held Troy to two hits while pitching into
the sixth inning, West Virginia's bullpen worked out of two bases-loaded
situations and Gavin Kelly hit a three-run homer as the Mountaineers ended the
Trojans' first College World Series appearance with a 12-0 victory Tuesday.
The Mountaineers (47-16) have reached the final four in their CWS debut and
will face North Carolina in the Bracket 1 final. They would have to beat the
Tar Heels on Wednesday and again Thursday to reach the best-of-three
championship round this weekend.
West Virginia, which beat Troy 7-5 in the CWS opener Friday, was in a must-win
situation after losing 5-2 to North Carolina on Sunday. The Mountaineers, who
staved off elimination three times to win their regional, will face a
well-rested North Carolina team that has allowed four runs in their last 22
innings.
The Mountaineers won for the 19th time in 22 games and posted their seventh
shutout of the season, and they did it against a team that was averaging 10
runs per game in the postseason.
West Virginia scored two runs against Cooper Ellingworth (2-5) and made it 6-0
against Dylan Alonso after its first two batters in the sixth inning were
retired. The next five reached, with Kelly going deep and Sean Smith singling
in another run. Kelly finished with three hits and four RBIs.
Montesa (6-5), making his first start since May 31, held Troy hitless into the
fourth inning and left with one out in the sixth with two runners on base.
Reliever Ben McDougal issued a two-out walk to load the bases before he induced
an inning-ending groundout.
The Trojans loaded the bases again in the seventh, this time with none out.
Reese Bassinger came on to face Blake Cavill, who struck out for the seventh
time in 13 CWS at-bats. He got Jimmy Janicki to fly out and struck out Steven
Meier to keep Troy scoreless.
The Trojans had erased a four-run deficit to beat Mississippi 12-8 on Sunday,
but there would be no comeback this time. Bassinger struck out five of the
first six batters he faced and turned the ball over to Carson Estridge in the
ninth with a 12-run lead.
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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
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