NILES, OH – Looking to bounce back in game two of the series, the West Virginia Black Bears lost to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers at Eastwood Field on Saturday evening by a score of 6-4. Despite mounting a comeback in the seventh inning led by 2B Blaze Brothers, a trio of runs for the Scrappers in the first inning ultimately made the difference.
Mahoning Valley got off to an early lead with an RBI double off the bat of CF Anthony Hansen that scored SS Sean Tillmon. An infield single from DH Sam Beers brought in 2B Matt Archer before a throwing error from Black Bears catcher Mauricio Millan allowed Hansen to cross home plate.
The Scrappers continued to pour it on just an inning later when Archer hit a sacrifice fly out to center field. Sam Crail made the catch for West Virginia, but Scrappers 1B Reed Chumley was able to cross the plate and give the home side an early 4-0 lead heading into the third.
The Black Bears finally got on the board with a single from RF Haven Mangrum to score 3B Duncan Pastore that cut the deficit down to three runs in the top of the fifth inning.
Mahoning Valley got one back when SS Brandon Dieter robbed Scrappers’ C Humberto Torres of a hit, but Chumley scored from third to take a four-run lead in the bottom of the sixth.
Things got interesting for the Black Bears in the top of the seventh inning as 2B Blaze Brothers blasted a three-run home run over the wall in left center field for his third homer of the season. Brothers’ moon shot cut the deficit to one run, and the Black Bears headed into the home half of the inning down, 5-4.
The Scrappers tacked on an insurance run in the bottom half of the frame when LF Roberto Peña singled to right field and brought in Beers.
Brothers tried to jumpstart West Virginia’s offense in the top of the ninth, but could not cut into Mahoning Valley’s lead. The Bears finished the game down, 6-4.
Unlike previous losses, West Virginia’s bullpen gave a solid performance and allowed the Black Bears to claw their way back into the game. In six innings of work, the bullpen allowed just a pair of runs between the third and ninth innings. However, West Virginia could not overcome its offensive issues, and stranded a whopping 28 men on base through nine innings.
West Virginia looks to avoid the sweep and stockpile some momentum before returning to Monongalia County Ballpark on Tuesday, June 14. The series finale against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers begins Sunday at 2:05 p.m.
