The West Virginia Mountaineers (46-15) opened the College World Series with a 7-5 win over the Troy Trojans (38-31) Friday afternoon in the program's first ever appearance in the CWS.
West Virginia junior Armani Guzman put the Mountaineers on the board in the bottom of the first inning. He reached first after chopping a ground ball under the glove of senior second baseman Sean Darnell and racing to second. Next, he took third on a dropped strike three. Then with two outs and the count sitting at 0-1, Guzman took off for home, sliding under the tag for the 1-0 WVU lead.
Troy responded in the top of the second and did its damage with two outs on the board. Darnell doubled to right centerfield before junior Jabe Boroff ripped an RBI single through the left side, tying the game at one.
West Virginia reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the frame after sophomore Matt Ineich worked out of an 0-2 count with a walk. Senior Brodie Kresser followed with a ground ball through the right side and senior Ben Lumsden advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Then, on the first pitch delivered to Tyrus Hall, he drove a two-RBI double off the left centerfield wall for a 3-1 advantage.
West Virginia starting pitcher Chansen Cole was chased off the mound in the third. Senior Blake Cavill lined a one-out single back up the middle and sophomore Jimmy Janicki sliced a double through the right side. Senior Steven Meier brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field and senior Drew Nelson ripped an RBI single to centerfield. Then, after Nelson swiped second, senior Sean Darnell drove an RBI double to left centerfield for the Trojans first lead of the afternoon 4-3.
