CHARLOTTE – West Virginia began Monday entering the USA Today Top 25 at No. 24 for the first time this season. It ended the day with its largest margin of victory in nearly a year.
Jace Rineart and Spencer Barnett hit home runs and freshman Gavin Kelly collected three RBIs, as the Mountaineers raced past Queens (N.C) 17-3 inside The Stick Williams Dream Fields to complete a four-game sweep of the Royals.
The game went just seven innings, but was technically over after the second inning, when the Mountaineers (12-0) scored nine runs. Chase Swain had two separate RBI singles in the inning and Kelly knocked in two more with a single.
West Virginia continued its best start to a season since the 1964 squad began 18-0 and the Mountaineers are just one of seven undefeated Division I teams remaining this season. It’s 14-run margin of victory against the Royals (2-10) was WVU’s largest since shutting out Marshall 15-0 on March 20, 2024.
In all, 11 different Mountaineers registered at least one hit on the day, with Swain, a transfer from Manhattan College, finishing 4 of 5 with three runs scored. Kelly had three hits and also scored three times, while Rinehart and Barnett each came up with their first home runs of the season.
On the mound, freshman David Hagen earned his first collegiate win with two scoreless innings as the Mountaineers starter. He allowed one hit and struck out one. Relief pitchers Luke Lyman, Tyler Hutson, Robby Porco and Jack Kartsonas also had scoreless innings on the mound.
WVU sent 13 batters to the plate in the second inning, with Skylar King, Grant Hussey, Brodie Kresser and Logan Sauve also driving in runs with base hits.
Sam White and Kelly each drove in a run in the second, while Armani Guzman added an RBI in the third. WVU finished with 19 hits, its most since also getting 19 against Baylor in 2023.
In the fifth inning, Rinehart hit a two-run home run and Barnett hit a three-run home run to cap the scoring for the Mountaineers.
West Virginia returns home for a three-game series with Kennesaw State, March 7-9. First pitch from Kendrick Family Ballpark on Friday is set for 2 p.m.
