By Ty Bartell
NILES, Ohio — The Mahoning Valley Scrappers won game two of a three-game series against the West Virginia Black Bears with a literal 3-2 walk-off victory, courtesy of a bases-loaded walk by Blake McCrae in the ninth inning!
Zach Norris started on the hill for the Scrappers, while West Virginia handed the ball to the towering 7-foot, 265-pound right-hander Brenton Thiels. Both starting pitchers settled in early, each tossing a scoreless first inning. The Black Bears struck first in the top of the second when Track Willhoite scored from third base on a wild pitch by Norris. Ryan Grabosch followed with an RBI single to extend the West Virginia lead to 2-0.
From that point, the game turned into a pitchers' duel. Norris and Thiels shut down their opposing lineups over the next three innings, keeping the score 2-0 in favor of the Black Bears after five innings. Jerry Burkett II replaced Norris in the top of the sixth and delivered a shutdown frame for Mahoning Valley. In the bottom half of the inning, the Scrappers finally broke through on the scoreboard. After Blake McCrae drew a walk, Zach Ketterman drove him in with an RBI double. Two batters later, Drew Holderbach tied the game with an RBI single, scoring both runs off Thiels and knotting the score at 2-2 after six innings.
Burkett II got the first out of the seventh before being relieved by Cole Chimenti, who escaped a jam with a crucial double play and then pitched a scoreless top of the eighth inning. With the game tied at two in the ninth, the Scrappers brought in Jonathan Martinez, who pitched around a single to post another zero, giving Mahoning Valley a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth.
Matthew Rivera led off the inning for the Scrappers with a single, prompting Kota Suzuki to pinch run for him. On the mound for West Virginia, Sayer Deidrich made a critical throwing error on a sacrifice bunt by T.J. McKenzie, allowing McKenzie to reach safely and setting up second and third with nobody out. An intentional walk to pinch-hitter Jake Allgeyer loaded the bases for Blake McCrae. Showing patience at the plate, McCrae waited for his pitch and ultimately drew a walk, bringing in the winning run and securing a 3-2 walk-off victory for Mahoning Valley.
The Scrappers (22-24, 6-6) and the Black Bears (18-27, 6-6) will face off again on Wednesday, July 31, in the rubber match of the three-game series.
