GRANVILLE, W.Va. – The West Virginia Black Bears took game two from the Trenton Thunder by a score of 2-0 at Monongalia County Ballpark on Wednesday evening. Starting pitcher Mark Faello and the defense held the Thunder hitless through five innings, while Patrick Lee scored both runs for the Bears. The game was called due to proximate lightning strikes and incoming rain after the fifth.
After two quiet innings for both teams, the West Virginia offense showed signs of life in the bottom of the third. Patrick Lee doubled to right field before Michael Cooper sent him home with a single for the first run of the game. Trenton starting pitcher Wesley Gafford ended the inning on a strikeout but allowed the Bears to take a one-run lead.
In the fifth inning, the offense added to the lead with another run. Two singles off the bats of Lee and Manny Vorhees, respectively, put two runners on the corners. The next at-bat, Lee scored his second run of the evening on a sacrifice fly into center field by Anthony Hansen. Though the Bears advanced Vorhees into scoring position on a wild pitch, they ended the inning on a flyout to center. Heading into the sixth, West Virginia led 2-0.
The game was called after the fifth inning due to lightning strikes and fast-moving storm cells in the area. However, the rain held off long enough for the Black Bears to pick up their 25th win of the second half. With the victory, the Bears stay in first place with nine games left to play in the regular season.
West Virginia returns for the final game of the series against Trenton on Thursday evening. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
