GRANVILLE, W.Va. - The West Virginia Black Bears defeated the Mahoning Valley Scrappers by a final score of 5-2 and secured the series win on Thursday night at Monongalia County Ballpark. Starting pitcher Brady Tedesco had a record-breaking evening, recording 15 strikeouts and breaking his own MLB Draft League single-game record (14) from July 21.
Tedesco got off to a hot start in the top of the first, striking out two batters and retiring the side. In the second, the Scrappers took a 1-0 lead off a solo home run from David Bermudez. However, Tedesco recovered with grace to end the inning with a strikeout.
As the Bears struggled to get the sluggish offense moving, the left-handed starter continued to dominate the Scrappers. Tedesco struck out the side in the third to pick up his seventh of the night. The next inning, Mahoning Valley loaded the bases with only one out, but the Black Bears managed to get out of the jam as Tedesco caught D’Aires Davis swinging for strikeout number nine. Heading into the home half, West Virginia trailed by one.
The Black Bears’ bats finally came to life in the bottom of the fourth. Bobby Lada and Tyler Dellerman grounded out into RBIs that scored Manny Vorhees and Anthony Hansen, respectively. The Bears led 2-1 going into the fifth inning.
With the defense holding Mahoning Valley at bay, West Virginia extended its lead in the bottom of the fifth. Patrick Lee drove in Tyner Hughes on the first RBI-ht for the Bears, and a sacrifice fly from Manny Vorhees scored Lee to put the Bears up by three runs.
After giving up a walk and a single in the fifth, Tedesco picked up four more strikeouts in the sixth and seventh frames to break his single-game strikeout record with 15. Through both innings, the Bears retired the side to hold the Scrappers scoreless. Michael Cooper added one more insurance run in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly that plated Hughes for a 5-1 lead.
AJ Stinson replaced Brady Tedesco at the top of the eighth. An RBI single from Scrappers’ TJ Reeves drove in Corey King to cut the Black Bears’ lead to 5-2. Despite Stinson’s shaky start in the ninth, the William Carey University alum managed to earn the save and secure the 5-2 win for the Black Bears.
Brady Tedesco was the story of the evening as the Eaton, Colorado, native broke the MLB Draft League single-game strikeout record for the second time this season. Through seven innings of work, Tedesco recorded five hits, one run and 15 strikeouts. The left-handed pitcher, who previously played for the Evansville Otters, leads the league with 60 strikeouts through 35.0 innings pitched.
West Virginia begins a fresh series for the weekend as the Bears host the Williamsport Crosscutters for three-games beginning Friday, August 11. First pitch for Friday’s game is set for 7:00 p.m.
