Apr. 5—GRANVILLE — The baseball came off Grant Hussey's bat Friday night like a bullet out of a gun.
It sailed into the night sky still rising up toward the top of the light pole, as it disappeared into the dense fog that had eerily hovered over Kendrick Family Ballpark.
"I don't even know, I blacked out, " Hussey said after his two-run blast was the difference in No. 25 West Virginia's 6-3 win against Utah. "I saw it go off the bat and I knew it was gone."
BOX SCORE The eighth-inning dinger was a game-winner in a second, and then became mysteriously majestic as the ball simply disappeared heading for parts unknown.
"I thought the fog was pretty cool, " Hussey said. "In all the games I played here, I don't think it's ever been like that. I was talking to the first base umpire ; watching it roll over the stadium was definitely different."
It was Hussey's 41st career home run, adding to his school's career record, and the fourth home run hit in the game by the Mountaineers (25-4, 5-3 Big 12).
Three of those home runs were hit by state natives. Hussey (Parkersburg) was joined by Hedgesville's Kyle West and Mannington's Jace Rineart.
West and Rineart went back-to-back on consecutive pitches in the third inning that gave WVU a 2-1 lead.
"There's nothing better than having people who are proud of this state and proud of this university have success, especially guys who grew up here, " WVU head coach Steve Sabins said.
For good measure, Logan Sauve added another solo shot in the fifth inning for a 3-1 lead.
Those three runs came against Utah ace Colter McAnelly, who has already been named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week three times this season.
The recognition was deserved.
"McAnelly is really good. He's that definition of the guy with good stuff who is an elite competitor, " Sabins said. "He never backs down and throws all of his pitches with conviction. Every pitch he throws is with 100 % certainty that it's the right pitch at the right moment."
This is where WVU starter Griffin Kirn comes into the picture. The lefty, who had spent four years pitching at the Division II level before joining the Mountaineers this season, went pitch-for pitch with McAnelly through nearly seven innings.
In his 6 2 /3 innings, Kirn struck out 14 of the 26 Utes he faced, including five in a row at one point.
"That was Griffin Kirn's best outing as a Mountaineer, " Sabins said. "Today was special. He had 14 punch-outs and a walk that probably should have been another strikeout.
"I was really impressed with what he did."
The sad part to the story is he allowed a single and a double in the seventh, forcing Sabins to lift Kirn from the game.
WVU reliever Chase Meyer then gave up a base hit to Austen Roellig that tied the game, 3-3, meaning Kirn was not going to factor into the decision.
McAnelly was just as impressive. He threw 124 pitches over 7 1 /3 innings. He struck out nine and gave up five hits, but walked four.
In the end it was a letdown of a pitchers' duel. McAnelly was charged with a tough loss, while Kirn got a no-decision.
"It was really exciting dueling it out with him, " Kirn said.
The 3-3 game stretched into the bottom of the eighth inning. By that time the fog had gone from a rolling mist in the middle innings to full-fledged cloud cover.
Utah (13-14, 2-8) had just pulled McAnelly from the game when Hussey stepped to the plate. Skylar King led off the inning with a base hit, then stole second.
"It felt like when you take McAnelly out of the game, anybody else would have been better to face, " Sabins said. "It felt like the game ...
