BECKLEY, W.Va. -- The Fairmont State baseball faced elimination on Friday afternoon against the University of Charleston, who won Thursday 12-0 against Notre Dame. The Golden Eagles prevailed 9-3 inside Linda K. Epling Stadium as the Fighting Falcons concluded its 2022 season with an overall record of 27-22.
Fairmont State ran into a solid club in the form of Charleston as the Golden Eagles advanced into the winner's bracket after handing the Falcons the 9-3 loss. UC's All-Mountain East Conference first-team selection Ethan Soderna took to the mound for the Golden Eagles as Falcon
Logan Smith got the start for Fairmont State.
Smith was able to battle back after Charleston scored two runs in the top of the first as he held the Golden Eagles scoreless the next two innings.
Noah Cantebury led off the second inning with a single to right field.
Ryan Goff hit into a 6-4-3 double play to clear the bases of the Falcons as UC held the 2-0 advantage through two frames.
Cade Sikoski notched the second hit of the game for Fairmont State with a single to center field but was taken off the base paths after a fielder's choice via
Justin Brown.
Tyler Haskins prolonged the inning after beating the throw by UC's shortstop.
In the fourth, UC doubled its lead to 4-0 as
Steven Ricketts came in relief of Smith with two outs. Ricketts ended the threat with a strikeout of Golden Eagle Eric Chartier.
Zachary Musgrove got on board on a five-pitch walk and advanced to second after Canterbury singled through the left side. UC's Soderna got out of the inning after a flyout by
Ryan Goff and fielder's choice by
Spencer Delawder.
The Golden Eagles tacked two more runs in the fifth inning to extend its lead to six runs.
Alex Tennant led off the fifth for the Falcons with a single to right field but was thrown out on the next at-bat by Brown via a 6-4-3 double play.
Fairmont State was able to get one run back in the eighth inning after Canterbury plated Musgrove from second base with a double over the first baseman's head. UC went to the bullpen for the second time in the inning after Campbell Spradling was unable to retire any Falcons. Fairmont State then went down in order against Golden Eagle Robby Shepherd
In the ninth inning, Charleston added two more runs to make the score 9-1 as the Falcons were down to their final three outs of the season.
Goodnight was able to get to first base after a hit by pitch and moved over to second after
PJ Lanham walked on a full count. Canterbury continued his solid day on the diamond with a single to center field as both Lanham and Goodnight scored with Cantebury hustling to third base off the fielding error by the centerfielder. Goff looked to continue the cycle for the Falcons but struck out looking as the Golden Eagles picked up the 9-3 victory.
Brett Whiteman went three full innings out of the bullpen for the Falcons as the graduate student had two strikeouts while allowing one run on 49 pitches. Smith, the All-MEC Honorable Mention honoree, suffered the loss in the final collegiate start of his six-year career at Fairmont State.
Canterbury went 4-5 from the plate with one double and two RBIs.
Zachary Musgrove in his final game as Falcon had one hit and drew two walks in his plate appearances. Lanham joined Musgrove with two walks in the afternoon as well.
UC will now await the winner of tonight's contest between Concord University and Frostburg State in tomorrow's winner bracket game at Epling Stadium.
