INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The Glenville State Baseball team split a four-game Mountain East Conference series at West Virginia State on Saturday (Apr. 11) and Sunday (Apr. 12), finishing the weekend (2-2) on the road. The Pioneers showed resilience throughout the series, bouncing back in the finale after two narrow losses and now sit (18-18) overall and (7-11) in league play.
Saturday (Apr. 11)
Game One – GSU 5 | West Virginia State 3
Glenville State opened the weekend with a strong 5-3 win behind timely hitting and a solid performance on the mound. The Pioneers jumped out early in the first inning as Ashton Cracedelivered an RBI single to score Jacob Meadows, and Jetsel Cajigas-Martinez later came around to score on a wild pitch to make it 2-0. West Virginia State responded in the third inning, capitalizing on a sacrifice bunt and a Pioneer error to tie the game at 2-2. Glenville State answered in the fifth, regaining control with three runs. Cajigas-Martinez drove in a run with a single before coming around to score on a failed pickoff attempt, and Crace added another RBI with a double to extend the lead to 5-2.
The Yellow Jackets added a run in the sixth, but the Pioneer pitching staff held firm down the stretch. Zach Dellerman earned the win, allowing just two earned runs over 5.1 innings, while Jacob Gorra closed the door with 1.2 scoreless innings to secure the save.
Game Two – GSU 4 | West Virginia State 5
Glenville State built an early lead but could not hold on late, falling 5-4 in game two. The Pioneers struck first in the second inning as Colby Guy delivered a two-RBI double to give Glenville State a 2-0 advantage. West Virginia State answered with a two-run home run from Ethyn Barnitz to even the score. GSU regained the lead in the fourth with a solo home run from Adam Bright and added another run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly, extending the lead to 4-2. However, West Virginia State took advantage of defensive miscues in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three unearned runs to take a 5-4 lead. Glenville State was unable to respond in the seventh, as the Yellow Jackets held on to even the series.
Sunday (Apr. 12)
Game Three – GSU 5 | West Virginia State 6
Glenville State battled back from an early deficit but fell just short in a 6-5 walk-off loss in game three. West Virginia State capitalized on early Pioneer errors in the first inning, scoring four runs, including a two-run home run from Barnitz to take a 4-0 lead. The Pioneers responded immediately, with Adam Bright hitting a solo home run in the second inning. In the third, Greyson McNeill added a solo shot before Jetsel Cajigas-Martinez delivered an RBI double and Ashton Crace drove in a run to tie the game at 4-4.
West Virginia State regained the lead in the fifth on a solo home run, but Glenville State answered again in the sixth as Carlos De Jesus drove in Bright with an RBI double to even the score at 5-5. The Pioneers threatened to take the lead later in the inning but were thrown out at the plate. In the bottom of the seventh, West Virginia State completed the comeback with a walk-off RBI single to secure the 6-5 win. Glenville State recorded nine hits in the contest, led by McNeill’s three-hit performance, but four defensive errors proved costly.
Game Four – GSU 6 | West Virginia State 4
Glenville State responded in the series finale with a gritty 6-4 win to secure the split. Despite being limited to just three hits, the Pioneers took advantage of seven walks and five West Virginia State errors to generate offense. After a scoreless start, the Pioneers broke through in the fourth inning as Luke Sweigart drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, and another run scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0. West Virginia State answered with a run in the bottom half, but the Pioneers extended the lead in the fifth behind an RBI single from Ashton Craceand a sacrifice fly from Colby Guy.
The Yellow Jackets responded with three runs in the fifth to tie the game at 4-4, but Glenville State answered immediately in the sixth. Crace drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, and Carlos De Jesus followed with a bases-loaded walk to give the Pioneers a 6-4 advantage. Grant Landis earned the win in relief with 1.1 scoreless innings, and Zach Dellerman closed out the game with a scoreless seventh to earn the save. The pitching staff worked around 12 hits and held West Virginia State scoreless over the final two innings to secure the victory.
Up Next For The Pioneers
The Pioneers will travel to Davis & Elkins for a four-game series this coming weekend, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday (Apr. 18). First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
