CHARLESTON, W. Va. – The University of Charleston Baseball team defeated crosstown rival West Virginia State on a rainy second day of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional at the Welch Athletic Complex. After 754 days since their last meeting (May 5, 2019), it was only fitting that the duration of the contest from start to finish lasted over five hours, which included five rain delays.
 
Jesse Elliott led the way for the Golden Eagles offensively, as the senior belted a pair of home runs, while Austin Henrich continued to add to the program record, picking up his 32^nd win of his illustrious career. In the game, Colby Johnson stole four bases, surpassing 100 stolen bases for his career.
 
Game Information
Charleston 12, West Virginia State 8
Records: Charleston (32-12, 24-4 MEC), West Virginia State (32-10, 24-4 MEC)
Location: Segra Field at the Welch Athletic Complex (Charleston, W. Va.)
W|L|S: Austin Henrich (7-0) | Nick Loftis (6-1) | None

How it Happened

• West Virginia plated an early run in the first against Charleston starting pitcher Austin Henrich after he bounced a pitch off the front of the plate, which scored Michael Stone on the wild pitch.
• From there, Charleston was able to load the bases in the second and scored a run after Pete Costigan grounded into a double play which brought home Braxton Boddorf to tie the game at 1-1.
• In the bottom half of the second, the game was put on pause for the games' first weather delay, a wait which last just under 47 minutes.
• As play resumed, both pitchers continued to roll as Charleston took their first lead of the game in the sixth inning. With another bases loaded opportunity, Hayden Cartt brought home Drew Hefner on a sacrifice fly which gave the Golden Eagles a 2-1 lead.
• In the seventh, Charleston added to their lead after Elliott led off the inning with a solo shot on a full count, giving Charleston the 3-1 advantage.
• After a pitching change from West Virginia State, Johnson would score after stealing third base and touching home after the ball ended up in left field, increasing the Charleston lead to three run. 
• In the eighth, Charleston would go on to send ten batters to the plate, scoring four runs on five hits while taking advantage of a West Virginia State error to take an 8-1 lead. In the inning, the games' second weather delay, which lasted just under 23 minutes, occurred while Charleston held a 6-1 lead.
• After surviving two rain delays, Henrich came out to pitch the eighth and would load the bases before turning to Robby Shepherd out of the bullpen. After Shepherd allowed four of five batters to reach bases, he would exit with Charleston clinging on to an 8-5 lead. Henrich finished the day allowing four runs (all earned) on five hits while walking one, hitting three, and striking out five.
• Dane Sykes came on in relief of Shepherd with one out in the eighth before another rain delay, this time lasting 21 minutes in length. After walking in a runner to make the score 8-6, Sykes was lifted from the game. Shepherd allowed three hits over 0.1 IP, while walking one and allowing a pair of runs.
• Sykes faced just one batter, allowing a walk. Robert Fultineer came on, and immediately induced an inning-ending double play which kept the momentum on the side of Charleston, who led 8-6 going into the 9^th.
• In the top half of the ninth, Charleston scored four much needed insurance runs to double their lead at 12-6 on three hits. The big knock of the inning came on Elliott's second long ball of the game, which gave Charleston a 10-6 lead.
• With Fultineer out to pitch the last half of the ninth, WVSU would go on to score three runs while two additional weather delay's combining for 20 minutes would make for a nearly 50-minute last frame.

UP NEXT:
Charleston will go on to play Bloomsburg tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 PM in an elimination contest. Due to weather postponing the remaining games on Friday, the final two games of the day have been pushed back and will be the first two games on Saturday.