Kartsonas Impressive in West Virginia Regional Win Over Clemson

(WVU Athletics photo)

By James Gravley

It’s not every day that a relief pitcher turns into a stud starting pitcher, but that is exactly what Kent State pitcher transfer Jack Kartsonas has done in his one and only season with West Virginia. And he saved his best outing for the biggest game in his collegiate career up to this point.

On Saturday, Kartsonas helped lead the charge for the Mountaineers in the clubs 9-6 victory and now for the second consecutive season sit in the Regional Championship with just one win away from advancing to the Super Regional.

Kartsonas went 5.1 innings with seven strikeouts while allowing two runs on three hits.

In the sixth inning Kartsonas gave up a lead off single, then followed it up by a two-run home run to left, but then quickly forgot about that as he followed it up with a strikeout. However, head coach Steve Sabins felt it was time for a pitching change and did so with a 4-2 lead. That move quickly fell through the cracks as the Mountaineers bullpen would allow Clemson to tie it at 4.

Clemson would then take a 5-4 lead over the Mountaineers going into the eighth inning, that lead would collapse as Brodie Kresser singled with two outs before Armani Guzman sent a double to the left-center field gap to make it a 5-5 ballgame.

In the ninth frame, West Virginia turned it on yet again thanks to a two-out rally. Grant Hussey walked, Sam White doubled which plated Jorge Valdes, who pitch ran for Hussey. Ben Lumsden would single in a run and then with bases loaded West Virginia had two hitters in Guzman and Skylar King hit by pitches with bases loaded to give the Mountaineers a 9-6 lead going into the bottom of the ninth.

The Tigers plated one run of their own in the ninth frame but their two-out rally came up short as West Virginia closed the door earning the victory.

Clemson and Kentucky will play each other in an elimination game. The loser goes home, but the winner advances to the Regional Championship against WVU at 6:00 pm. The Tigers and Wildcats have their backs against the wall as if they want to make the Super Regional they will have to win their elimination game plus two more wins against the Mountaineers. That will be a hard task to accomplish on little to no rest.

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