In the first-ever baseball game between Western Kentucky and West Virginia, the Mountaineers beat the Hilltoppers 7-5 on Friday at Nick Denes Field.
WKU led 4-2 after seven innings, with 6 1/3 strong innings from starter Ryan Thurston and a 4-for-4 on-base day by Colie Currie, but a four-run West Virginia eighth gave the visitors the lead for good.
The lefty Thurston recorded only four strikeouts after seven and nine over his first two starts, respectively – but still posted his third start of five-plus innings with two or fewer runs allowed to open his 2018 campaign.