MORGANTOWN — West Virginia pulled even in its three-game series against Baylor on Saturday in a big way.
The Mountaineers pounded out a season-high 17 hits and Chansen Cole improved to 3-0 on the mound, as the Mountaineers ran past the Bears, 13-2, inside Baylor Ballpark in Waco, Texas.
The game was stopped after seven innings due to the mercy rule. The deciding game of the series is scheduled for noon Sunday (ESPN+).
WVU outfielder Paul Schoenfeld went 3 for 4 with a triple and a double and drove in four runs to lead the Mountaineers (12-4, 1-1 Big 12). He’s now batting .355 on the season and leads WVU with 22 RBIs.
Gavin Kelly extended his hitting streak to 12 consecutive games with two more hits, including a double. Brock Wills, a transfer from UNC Wilmington, also added three hits and two RBIs for WVU.
Cole had one of his better starts of the season, going six innings, while allowing three hits and two runs. He walked three and struck out five. Bryant Yoak pitched the final inning and allowed no hits and struck out two.
Baylor starting pitcher Grayson Murry didn’t make it past the first inning, as WVU took a quick 3-0 lead with Schoenfeld scoring two on a double and then scored on Wills’ double down the left field line.
WVU added three more runs in the second with Schoenfeld, Wills and Brodie Kresser coming up with run-scoring base hits.
That was basically all the run support Cole needed. He held the Bears (11-7, 1-1) scoreless until the fourth inning, when Tyce Armstrong hit a two-run home run for Baylor’s only runs on the day.
Cole, a Division II transfer from Newberry (S.C.) College, now has a 2.25 ERA to go with his undefeated record. He’s struck out 28 hitters over 30 innings pitched to this point.
