BECKLEY, W.Va. -- Gianfranco Morello of the University of Charleston hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 13
th inning to lift the Golden Eagles to a 6-5 victory over Fairmont State on Thursday afternoon at Linda K. Epling Stadium in Beckley.
With the win, UC will advance in the winner's bracket on Friday. Fairmont State will now prepare for an elimination game against UVa-Wise on Friday at 12 noon in Beckley.
The two teams went back and forth for most of the day with Fairmont State scoring two in the first and UC responding with two of its own in the bottom half of the inning.
Zach Musgrove put the Falcons on the board in the first with an RBI single to center field to score
Kevin Ayala. Later in the inning, Joe LaRocca singled up the middle to bring home another run for the Falcons.
Fairmont State went ahead in the third on another RBI single by
Tyler Skidmore, only to have the Golden Eagles knot the game again in the bottom of the frame.
In the fourth,
Chris Green hit a one-out single up the middle on an 0-2 count to get aboard, and then
Greg Yaksich tripled him home. Later in the inning, Yaksich scored on a wild pitch to make the score 5-3 in favor of Fairmont State.
UC cut the lead to a single run in the fifth on a solo shot from Austin Hathaway. The Golden Eagles threatened in the sixth getting the first two runners on, but starter
Michael Stout got the lead runner out on a bunt attempt, and then induced a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.
UC got things going again in the seventh with a pair of runners on infield singles, and Hathaway produced the game-tying single right up the middle. That hit chased Stout, who gave way to reliever
Houston Morris. With the bases loaded, Morris turned and fired to first and picked the runner off to end the inning.
From that point, the game turned into a pitching dual with both teams getting solid bullpen performances in extra innings.
Morello broke the tie and gave UC the win in the bottom of the 13
th inning on an RBI single to right field that scored Kyle Keenan from third.
Stout went six and a third, allowing five runs on 10 hits and striking out six.
Houston Morris tossed 104 pitches in relief, allowing just one run on three hits in the final six and a one-thirds innings. Morris also had six strikeouts.
Jacob Kaiser earned the win for Charleston, allowing just two hits and striking out five in the final four and one-thirds innings.
Jordan Sanders and Green each recorded a pair of hits for the Falcons.
