The first sudden death extra inning contest at home this season for the Scrappers did not disappoint, as Zion Williams provided the game winning heroics in a 5-4 win over West Virginia.
Both teams had the bats working early. Cayden Gaskin led the game off with a home run for West Virginia, putting the Black Bears up 1-0.
Mahoning Valley got that run back in the bottom of the first on a Mike Young RBI single, the first of his three hits in the game.
West Virginia continued to show off the home run power in the second, when Tyvon Moore clubbed his first of the season with two outs and a runner on, making it 3-1 Black Bears.
Maddox Mihalakis delivered another run producing extra base hit with a double in the bottom of the second, scoring a run to make it 3-2.
The offenses would then go quiet until the fifth inning, when the Scrappers took their first lead. A Cayden Evans sacrifice fly and Mike Young RBI single would put Mahoning Valley ahead 4-3.
They put Eli Edds in line for the winning decision, as he went 5.0+ innings as the starter, striking out five and allowing just three runs. West Virginia would thwart his chances at a win when they put runners on the corners to lead off the seventh.
The game tying run would score on a 6-4-3 double play, making the score 4-4.
Both bullpens locked it down after that. Nick Anello and Reagen Rivera for the Scrappers and Carson Gipson and Andrew Luczak ensured the score would remain 4-4. And we would go to the sudden death 10th inning.
In the MLB Draft League, if the game is tied after nine innings, the teams play a sudden death half inning. The home teams picks offense or defense, whoever starts on offense puts the final batter from the previous inning on first to begin, and the result of the game is determined based on the half inning. Manager Raul Gonzalez would choose offense for Mahoning Valley on this night.
After a sacrifice bunt and intentional walk, Zion Williams stepped to the plate and delivered the third walk off win of the year for the Scrappers with an RBI single into right field, scoring the winning run to take game one against the Black Bears.
Game two of the two game set is tomorrow night (Tuesday) at 7:05 p.m., as the Scrappers go for their eighth straight home win against West Virginia this season.
