OKLAHOMA CITY--In West Virginia University's 11-10 loss to TCU in the Big 12 Championship, Ross Vance put everything on the line.
Vance came in and relieved starting pitcher Michael Grove in the first inning on Sunday afternoon after the Horned Frogs took a 4-0 lead.
The "Magic Man" once again put on quite a show, just as he had done on Wednesday. He pitched a solid 6.1 innings, surrendering four runs, (three earned) on 10 hits. Vance recorded a Mountaineers Big 12 record, 12 strikeouts.
“They told me to be ready in the first in case his knee starting acting up again," Vance said. "I was down there ready to go and I thought he doesn’t deserve these runs. I got out of it without too much damage hurt. I was trying to keep the team in it and keep …show more content…
He came in to relieve and injured Grove and tossed 8.2 innings of shutout baseball, giving up just one hit and fanning seven.
Vance stranded leadoff hitter Alex Wise on third in the first inning and the high-kicking pitcher was merely un-hittable the rest of the afternoon. “It’s unbelievable what we’ve asked that kid to do," WVU head coach Randy Mazey said. "Not many pitchers can do what he did this week, to step in there on short notice. For us to come in there and say, ‘Hey Ross, you’re the guy to come in the game in case someone gets hurt so be prepared.’ He came in a struck out 12 Horned Frogs. Which is not easy to do. They’re hitting more than 300 as a team. They’re one of the best offenses in all of college baseball. For him to come in a do that, after what he did against OU three days before, says volumes about his character and his tenacity.” The senior was a piece of the Mountaineers' rotation all season. He has posted a 7-3 record and 4.91 ERA with 91 strikeouts. But after a performance against William & Mary on May 13 where Vance gave up six runs on seven hits in five innings, he was moved to the