GRANVILLE, W.Va. – The West Virginia Black Bears won the rubber match against the Frederick Keys 5-1 at Kendrick Family Ballpark on Sunday afternoon. Alex Brewer and the defense held the hard-hitting Keys to one run on nine hits, and the Bears’ bats continued to produce with two home runs in the first frame.
Alex Brewer took the mound for the Bears for his sixth start. Brewer and the defense recorded the first out on a ground ball to second. The righty from Lipscomb University gave up two base hits, but he sent the Keys back to the dugout with a strikeout and a fly ball fielded at short.
The Bears’ bats came out swinging in the bottom of the first. On the second pitch of the inning, Alex Vergara lifted a ball over the right-center field wall for a lead-off homer. Back-to-back singles put Kasten Furr and J.T. Marr on base, but Marr was called out on a 4-6-3 double play. The next at-bat, Trace Willhoite went deep – 420-feet deep – with his fifth home run of the season. Heading into the second, the Black Bears led 3-0.
Brewer continued to deal, picking up three strikeouts to retire the side in the second. The defense made quick work of the Keys’ lineup in the third with a 1-2-3 inning. Brewer held Frederick in check through the fourth with two more strikeouts despite giving up a triple to designated hitter Keenan Taylor.
West Virginia took a four-run lead in the fourth as the Bears led off with four consecutive singles. Jeff Liquori followed Kendal Ewell with a single off Keys’ starter Jake Curtis, setting up Connor McGuire to bring home Ewell with a base hit. T.J. Williams singled on a line drive to center to score Liquori from second. After the fifth run, Frederick pitching coach Josh Flowerman headed to the mound to talk with his starter. Curtis and the defense then recorded three straight outs to end the inning, trailing by five.
The defense posted three more scoreless frames as Brewer retired the side in the fifth and sixth innings. The Keys threatened with two singles in the seventh that put Taylor in scoring position, but Brewer held them off with his seventh punchout of the game.
Frederick got one run back in the top of the eighth. Tremayne Cobb Jr. made it around the bags for the Keys, getting on base with a single to lead off the inning. A double from Brody Fahr scored Cobb before the Bears picked up three outs.
Conner Mackay stepped in to close for West Virginia after Brewer’s eight innings on the mound. Mackay wasted no time, erasing a single from Elijah Dickerson with two outs to end the game.
The Black Bears’ trio from Lipscomb University set the tone for Sunday’s win with starting pitcher Alex Brewer taking top honors. Brewer recorded his third win in his sixth start of the season, allowing eight hits with eight strikeouts through 8.0 innings pitched.
Alex Vergara led the offense for the Bears with a lead-off home run in the first, picking up two hits in his five at-bats. Vergara’s teammate and Lipscomb’s all-time leading home run hitter, Trace Willhoite delivered a two-run homer the same inning that traveled 420 feet. In another impressive day at the plate, the Black Bears totaled 13 hits in the 5-1 win.
West Virginia hits the road for six games beginning with a three-game set against the State College Spikes in Happy Valley. The Black Bears will play three against the Keys at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium before returning home for the final series of the season. West Virginia’s last home games against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers begin on Labor Day, September 2.
