GRANVILLE, W.Va. – The West Virginia Black Bears dropped the first game of the series to the Trenton Thunder by six runs at Kendrick Family Ballpark on Monday evening. Coming off a series sweep of the Spikes, the Black Bears bats suddenly went cold, ending their three-game winning streak with an 8-2 loss.
The Bears found themselves in a hole early in the game as the Thunder took a four-run lead in the first. West Virginia starter Jason Bollman allowed six hits, including four straight singles that put Trenton ahead 4-0. After a fruitless bottom of the first, the Thunder added a run in the second on an RBI single from John Schroeder.
The Thunder continued to roll, scoring two in the fifth. With runners on the corners, Cameron Yuran’s RBI groundout scored Connor Maryniak. A double from CJ Willis gave the Thunder a commanding 7-0 lead heading into the bottom of the inning.
The Bears attempted a rally after seven scoreless frames. Back-to-back walks of Alex Rodgers and Jordan Peyton put two on for reigning MLB Draft League “Hitter of the Week” Judah Morris. A hard-hit line drive off the bat of Morris scored Rodgers, and a throwing error by right fielder Schroeder brought home Peyton to cut the Thunder lead to five. But the Bears could not stop the Trenton assault as they added a run in the top of the ninth to pull the game out of reach.
A bright spot – Cameron LeJeune continued his quest for the lowest ERA in the league, throwing two more scoreless frames and striking out two. Through 10.2 innings pitched, LeJeune is posting a 0.00 ERA for the Bears with eight hits allowed and 15 strikeouts.
West Virginia returns to Kendrick Family Ballpark on Tuesday for the second game of the two-game series against the Trenton Thunder. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
