GRANVILLE, W.Va. – The West Virginia Black Bears won their 10th straight game 5-3 over the Trenton Thunder at Kendrick Family Ballpark on Sunday evening, setting a new franchise record. A solid game from top to bottom, starting pitcher Solomon Washington held Trenton to one earned run on two hits in his five innings on the mound. Drew Collins and Will Rogers added home runs to their stat sheets, powering the Bears’ offense over the Thunder.
Delayed for nearly an hour as rain and lightning passed through the area, when they game finally began, West Virginia was eager to make quick work of the Trenton lineup. Solomon Washington held the Thunder to one hit through two frames, sitting Trenton down in order in the first and retiring three batters in a row to end the second.
The Black Bears jumped out in front in the bottom of the second with a solo home run from Will Rogers. His first homer of the year, Rogers hammered the ball 449 feet onto University Town Centre Drive with an exit velocity of just under 108 mph.
After another 1-2-3 inning for Washington in the third, the Bears added a run on an RBI single from Jace Rinehart in the bottom of the inning. Rinehart’s line drive to center field brought home Drew Collins for a two-run lead.
Following the ejection of Trenton manager Shawn Chacon in the top of the fourth inning, the Thunder cut the lead in half with a sacrifice fly that scored Jackson Van De Brake. But West Viginia got the run back with another home run – this time off the bat of Drew Collins – in the bottom of the fifth.
Cameron LeJeune entered in relief of Washington to start the sixth. Picking up where the starter left off, LeJeune kept his 0.00 ERA intact with three straight outs.
Attempting to avoid the sweep, Trenton tied the game in the seventh. Reliever Michael Foltz Jr. took the mound for LeJeune, issuing two walks to put Connor Maryniak in scoring position. A line drive fielded by Collins scored Maryniak and CJ Willis to make it a 3-3 game.
The Bears reclaimed the lead for good in the bottom of the inning on a wild sequence of plays. Trenton sent in reliever Matt Bedford with two Bears on base after back-to-back walks of Jordan Peyton and Collins. A wild pitch advanced both runners into scoring position with Morris at the plate. As Morris hit into a fielder’s choice, Peyton rounded third, caught in a rundown between third and home. Third baseman Van De Brake’s errant throw from home sailed over the Thunder player at third as Peyton hustled home. Narrowly avoiding the tag at the plate, Collins slide in for a 5-3 lead.
West Virginia’s bullpen held Trenton one hit and two walks in the remaining two innings to give the Bears their third straight sweep. Ricky Harrison allowed just one hit in his single-inning appearance, while Wes Burton (S, 3), struck out three in the ninth to secure the win.
The Bears earned their 10th straight win with a brilliant performance from Solomon Washington. Through his five innings on the bump, the righty struck out four with one walk, allowing just one run on two hits. Drew Collins had a productive game going 2-4 with three runs, a walk, a stolen base and his solo homer in the bottom of the fifth. Will Rogers continued to show his two-way capability with his start at third. Rogers, listed primarily as a pitcher, also recorded his first home run of the season on a deep ball that traveled nearly 450 feet.
With the win, West Virginia has an 8.0 game lead on the second-place Williamsport Crosscutters with 15 games remaining. The Black Bears will take a day off before hitting the road for a three-game series against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers on Tuesday, August 19. West Virginia returns to Kendrick Family Ballpark for the final weekend series of the year and Fan Appreciation Weekend beginning Friday, August 22. Friday’s game features giveaways every inning for the first seven and post-game fireworks presented by WVU Medicine. First pitch for Friday’s contest is set for 7:00 p.m.
