GRANVILLE, W.Va. – The West Virginia Black Bears got a big win against the Williamsport Crosscutters, beating them 8-3 at Kendrick Family Ballpark on Monday evening.
The Bears came out swinging with two runs in the first. Jordan Peyton got the inning started with a single, with Drew Collins following with a double to put runners in scoring position. Jace Rinehart continued to mash at the plate with a two-RBI double that bounced off the WVU Medicine wall sign to put the Bears up 2-0.
Williamsport followed the Bears' lead in the top of the second with Joey Parliment hitting an RBI single to score Carlos Castillo.
After an empty second frame for the Bears, the Crosscutters tied the game in the top of the third after Castillo hit an RBI single that scored Jackson Mayo, knotting the game at two.
West Virginia put its foot back on the gas to reclaim its two-run lead in the bottom of the inning. A lead-off single from Collins and two errors by the Crosscutters put him on third. Rinehart picked up his third RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly that scored Collins for a one-run lead.
Judah Morris kept the inning going, hitting his 14th triple of the season before stealing third. Alex Ungar followed with a walk, stealing second on a throwing error by the Williamsport catcher that brought Morris home to make it 4-2.
Starting pitcher Jason Bollman blanked the Crosscutters in the fourth, and the Bears added three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a five-run lead. West Virginia started with a free runner on first and second after the Crosscutters starter Grundy walked Jake Berg and Kyle Ratliff.
Landon Frei made it 5-2 Bears after he hit a bunt single that scored Berg. A double steal by Frei and Ratliff brought in another run as Ratliff stole home. Rinehart kept the inning going with his fourth RBI of the night for a five-run lead.
The Bears padded their lead in the fifth after Ungar came home on a single from Will Rogers and a throwing error by Brodil.
Williamsport put one on the board in the top of the ninth after Castillo grounded into a force out that scored Mayo to bring the score to 8-3.
On the defensive end, the Bears got a solid outing out of starter Jason Bollman, who went six innings with two runs on 10 hits, striking out five. He improved to 5-3 on the season.
WVU alum Jace Rinehart continued his hot streak, going 2-3 with a double, a walk, and four RBI. After today's game, Rinehart improved his batting average to .430 in August, remaining one of the hottest hitters in the league.
With the win, the Bears move to 25-11, still holding a 7.5-game lead with eight games remaining. The Bears return to Kendrick Family Ballpark for the final game of a three-game series against the Williamsport Crosscutters on Tuesday evening, looking to win the series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
