GRANVILLE, W.Va. – The West Virginia Black Bears secured a 6-5 comeback victory versus the Williamsport Crosscutters in game one of a two-game set at Kendrick Family Ballpark on Thursday evening. After trailing Williamsport most of the game, West Virginia pulled away with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie it. Trace Willhoite put the final nail in the coffin with a solo home run in the eighth for the win.
As in most Black Bears’ games, the defense held for both teams, leading to two and a half scoreless innings. Starting pitcher Ryan Sleeper retired the side in order in the first and second, while the Cutters stranded three in the top of the third to keep the game at nil.
West Virginia struck first in the bottom of the third after loading the bases with zero outs. A blinding ball deep to left field gave Jack O’Dowd the double and sent Williams to third following his lead-off base hit. Vergara filled the bases on walks with Trace Willhoite providing the sacrifice fly that scored Williams. With runners on the corners, Vergara made his way to second base. Jeff Liquori would reach first base, but on a fielder’s choice as the Cutters tagged O’Dowd on his way to the house. A groundout stranded two runners, but the Black Bears took a 1-0 lead.
A.J. Stinson entered in the fourth in relief of Sleeper. Crosscutters’ Kyson Donahue and Mitch McCabe got on base, both scoring on back-to-back sacrifice fly outs from Josh Lopez and Porter Brown, respectively, for a one-run lead.
In the fifth inning, two Crosscutters got on first and second base, but Stinson dialed in for a strikeout to seal the top frame. Zachary Murray relieved Valdez in the fifth inning for Williamsport. Vergara picked up a base hit and reached second on a pick off attempt, but he was stranded for another blank inning.
Noah Manning replaced Stinson in the sixth. A walk of Brown followed by a single from Jacob Harper filled the first two bases. On a throwing error from Manning to Marr, Taylor was able to reach first base and ultimately score Brown. A single from Perrell sent home Harper to extend the Crosscutters’ lead to three. After notching a strikeout, another walk loaded the bases, but a groundout from McGuire to Marr sealed the inning before Williamsport could extend their 4-1 lead.
The Bears got one back in the bottom of the sixth to cut the deficit to two. With two outs, Williams and O’Dowd recorded back-to-back singles, with O’Dowd’s sending Furr home for a 4-2 game.
Williamsport got their run right back with one out in the top of the seventh inning as Lopez sent a solo home run behind the Crosscutters’ bullpen. A strikeout from Stinson and forceout from Willhoite to McGuire at second eliminated another opportunity to score.
The Bears clawed their way back for three runs in the bottom of the inning. A single from Liquori put two Bears on base, joining Willhoite who reached on a walk. Manager Ryan Hanigan made a call to the bullpen to send in Brett Thomas for reliever Zach Muray. Marr doubled to plate Liquori before Grabosch made it home on a fielder’s choice. Thomas juiced the bases with the walk of McGuire just in time for two consecutive RBI singles from Williams and O’Dowd to tie the game.
Bears’ Jackson Kirkpatrick replaced Manning in the eighth to face four batters, allowing one hit but tossing a punchout to remove the lone base runner. In the home half, Willhoite dialed back for a solo home run to give West Virginia the lead.
Closer Jack Maruskin entered in the top of the ninth. A sacrifice bunt sent Donahue to second base to put the Crosscutters in scoring position. But Williams cleaned up a line out from Brown to deep left-field, and a ground out from Furr to Marr ended the game.
The Black Bears compiled 14 hits in Thursday’s matchup, with T.J. Williams leading the team with four. Williams finished his evening going four-for-five at the plate with one run and an RBI. Jack O’Dowd followed with three hits and a pair of RBIs including bringing in the game-tying run in the seventh. Trace Willhoite from Georgetown, Kentucky, picked up one hit and one run on a 434-foot home run to win the game. Jackson Kirkpatrick secured the win with one strikeout through one frame, with Jack Maruskin recording his first save. Ryan Sleeper and Noah Manning each shared a pair of strikeouts.
Williamsport totaled 11 hits in their one-run loss as Levi Perrell picked up three in five at-bats with one RBI, and Kyson Donahue accounted for two.
West Virginia hosts Williamsport for the final meeting of this two-game set on Friday evening for Friday Night Fireworks (Cooper’s Version), presented by Pierpont Community College. First pitch for the game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
