GRANVILLE, W.Va. - The West Virginia Black Bears bounced back in their 10-6 win over the Trenton Thunder at Kendrick Family Ballpark. The offense, led by Drew Collins, scored 10 runs on seven hits in Tuesday evening’s contest, while starting pitcher Jake Lynch threw seven innings with just two earned runs. Aggressive on the base paths, West Virginia scored three on four costly Trenton errors to split the two-game series with the Thunder.
After a scoreless first, the Bears erupted for four runs in the bottom of the second inning. Leading off, Jace Rinehart doubled on a sharp line drive to center field. Landon Frei joined Rinehart on base with a hit to left field to put runners on the corners. The Bears took the lead after Trenton starter Xavier Lovett struck David Coppedge to load the bases and hit Alex Rodgers with a sinker, scoring Rinehart. Jordan Peyton followed, reaching on a fielder's choice that plated Frei. With the bases still loaded, the walk of Drew Collins added a run, and a sac fly from Draft League “Hitter of the Week” Judah Morris put West Virginia ahead 4-0.
Keeping up the pressure, the Bears brought home three more in the bottom of the fourth. Frei and Rodgers reached base on singles to center field with Collins following on a fielding error by Thunder first baseman CJ Willis. A second error on the play put the Bears up by six as Frei and Rodgers scored and Collins moved to second. Stealing third, Collins made it home on yet another throwing error, this time by catcher Billy Sullivan.
Trenton finally got on the board in the fifth on a Sullivan RBI single that cut the Bears lead to 7-1. The Thunder scored again the next inning after John Schroeder drove in Connor Maryniak to pull within five runs.
West Virginia responded by scoring three in the bottom of the sixth. The Bears started the inning with a free base runner after Trenton walked Coppedge. Following a pitching change, Rodgers was struck with a pitch for the second time in the game, putting two Bears on base. Collins padded the lead with his first RBI triple of the season to make it 9-2. A single from Alex Ungar later brought home Collins to give the Bears an eight-run lead heading into the seventh inning.
Trenton showed signs of life in the top of the ninth, scoring four to pull within four, but the West Virginia lead proved too great to overcome.
After a low-energy offense on Monday, the Bears pounced on every opportunity to advance the runners this evening, scoring three on four Trenton errors. Centerfielder Drew Collins drove in three runs - two on his triple in the sixth inning – ending his evening with two runs, one hit, one walk, and a stolen base.
Starting pitcher Jake Lynch made his bid for Draft League “Pitcher of the Week” with a seven-inning performance, striking out three while allowing just two runs. Lynch retired the side in order in three of his seven innings to take home his first win.
With the win, the Bears (13-5) split the two-game series with the Thunder and maintain sole possession of first place in the MLB Draft League standings. The Bears hit the road for five games against the Williamsport Crosscutters (August 6-8) and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (August 9-10) before returning to Kendrick Family Ballpark on Tuesday, August 12, for a three-game series against State College.
