GRANVILLE, W.Va. - The West Virginia Black Bears secured their fifth straight win with a 4-3 walk-off over State College at Kendrick Family Ballpark on Tuesday night. Though outhit by six and 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position, clutch offensive performances and strong pitching won the game for the Black Bears.
The Bears took an early lead in the bottom of the first after a hit from Drew Collins and single Judah Morris put both runners in scoring position. Collins came home on a single from outfielder Alex Ungar before Morris stole home to take a 2-0 lead. A commotion on the field disrupted play for a few minutes as State College manager Tim Battle Jr. was ejected from the game, but the Spikes secured the final two outs to end the inning.
After a rough start for pitcher Solomon Washington, he soon found his rhythm, pitching three-up, three-down innings in the third and fourth for the Bears.
State College’s offense caught up in the top of the sixth. Three consecutive hits scored Adonis Forte for the first Spikes run. He was followed by Cole Caruso who came in on a two-out single to right field from Trotter Boston.
The Bears reclaimed the lead after the stretch as Jordan Peyton collected extra bases on a line drive to left fielder Conor Higgs. Collins followed with a sacrifice fly to put the Bears up 3-2. But West Virginia did not hold the lead for long as a State College solo shot in the top of the eighth tied the game again. Jakobi Davis picked up his first home run, sending the Black Bears scrambling to score in the bottom of the inning. Though Jace Rinehart reached base on walks, he was stranded on a groundout to shortstop TJ Salvaggio.
After reliever Austin Eaton shut down the Spikes in the ninth to keep the game tied at three, West Virginia dug in for a rally. Down to their final out, Peyton was walked by closer Jason Shockley. Collins ended the game with a line drive that bounced around the left field corner, scoring Peyton for the walk-off win.
Leading the offense for the Bears, Drew Collins went 2-4 with a run, a stolen base, and two RBI. The walk-off was Collins first of the season. Judah Morris went 1-2 with a run and two walks, while Jordan Peyton scored two runs, including the walk-off.
After a slight hiccup in the first inning, starting pitcher Solomon Washington finished his night with two earned runs on eight hits with six strikeouts. Washington allowed just two walks in his 5.2 innings on the mound. Austin Eaton got the win with his scoreless frame in the ninth.
With the win, the Bears (18-6) extend their streak to five games and increase their lead at the top of the MLB Draft League standings (5.0 games ahead of Williamsport). The Black Bears return to Kendrick Family Ballpark on Wednesday for the second game of the three-game series against the State College Spikes. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
