Early Offensive Burst Lifts Columbia over No. 23 West Virginia, 7-4

Friday, March 6

Morgantown, W. Va.

2:00 P.M.

Columbia

2-5

#23 West Virginia

8-3

Columbia

West Virginia

Early Offensive Burst Lifts Columbia over No. 23 West Virginia, 7-4

3/6/2026 7:02:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Five-run second inning fuels the Lions' win over the Mountaineers

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Columbia baseball exploded for five runs in the second inning to take the first, and held off a late rally to top No. 23 West Virginia, 7-4, on Friday. The Lions have picked up a victory over a ranked team for the second consecutive year, and it marks their first in the regular season since 2023.

The Lions improved to 2-5 while the Mountaineers moved to 8-3. Columbia has held a lead in all seven contests this year and scored first in six of those games.

Offensively, senior Jack Kail and sophomore Ben Fishel each drove in two runs, while junior Cole Fellows and sophomore Jimmy Chadwell recorded two hits apiece. Sophomore Jackson Brewer added an insurance run in the ninth with an RBI double.

Sophomore Alex Sotiropoulos (1-0) earned the win after tossing 5.1 innings, allowing three runs (one earned), while scattering three hits. Junior Baylor Hicks provided two innings of relief before junior Payton Soske struck out a pair in the ninth to record the save.

Columbia batted through the order in the second inning to take control. Fishel delivered a two-run double down the leftfield line to score Fellows and Tate Vogler. Kail immediately followed with a two-RBI single, bringing in Fishel and Hunter Snyder. The Lions capped the frame's scoring when Owen Estabrook poked a single through the right side to bring in Chadwell.

Anthony Temesvary plated another run in the top of the fifth with a single to center to extend the margin to 6-0.

West Virginia finally solved Sotiropoulos in the fifth inning after a walk and a double. Tyrus Hall got the Mountaineers on the board with an RBI groundout, and later capitalized on a throwing error to trim the deficit to 6-2.

West Virginia's Armani Guzman came in from third on a wild pitch in the sixth and pulled within two on Gavin Kelly's sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Brewer's double off the wall in center provided some extra breathing room in the ninth. The Mountaineers notched a leadoff triple to start the bottom of the frame before Soske retired the next three in order to preserve the win.

West Virginia starter Dawson Montesa (2-2) took the loss after allowing five runs on five hits over four innings.

UP NEXT
Columbia continues its series against No. 23 West Virginia on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for noon at Wagener Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark.

FOLLOW THE LIONS
For the latest on Columbia baseball, follow @CULionsBaseball on X and Instagram, and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.