GRANVILLE, W.Va. - The West Virginia Black Bears came back from behind to win their sixth straight game against the Frederick Keys, 9-6, at Monongalia County Ballpark on a beautiful Thursday evening.
The Keys got on the scoreboard first following a strongly pitched three innings from Matthew Tieding (4 SO, 3 ER). Tieding did not allow a single run or hit heading into the fourth inning. The top of the fourth, following an error in the outfield, the Keys managed to put up four runs off three hits with help from a three-run home run by DH Jake Plastiak.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Black Bears responded with three runs of their own. A lead-off walk of SS Sam Antonacci started the rally. With a runner in scoring position, LF Marek Chlup – in his first appearance as a Black Bear – nabbed his first base-hit and RBI, scoring Antonacci. The support continued with 3B Gehrig Anglin reaching base on balls, and a two-out shot into right field by CF Caeden Trenkle that scored Anglin and Chlup.
Despite giving up three runs, the Keys picked up where they left off, scoring two more runs to extend their lead. In the fifth, Rhian Mann (0 SO 2 ER) came in for the Black Bears to relieve Tieding of his duties. Mann struggled to find the strike zone, walking two batters who would eventually score off a double from Keys’ 3B Hunter Jump. However, Mann finished the inning pounding the zone, creating groundouts. The Keys finished their outing with a 6-3 lead.
Thomas Gross (2 SO, 0 ER) entered the sixth inning in relief. In his one-inning appearance, the Keys went three-up, three-down, with two strikeouts bookending a fly-out to RF Sam Crail.
The Black Bears offense continued the rally in the bottom of the sixth with a lead-off double from 1B Ryan Hernandez. Chlup got his second RBI base hit of the night, cutting the deficit to two runs. The Black Bears cut into the lead even further following a base hit up the middle from Trenkle that scored Chlup.
After that, West Virginia could not be caught. Showing his speed around the base path, 2B Savier Pinales drove a two-out ball deep into center field for a standup triple. Pinales’s efforts brought home Anglin and Trenkle to give the Bears a 7-6 lead.
Going into the bottom of the eighth the Bears added insurance runs off of two wild pitches and several walks from Keys’ pitcher Cannon Pickell. With great at bats from Millan, Pinales and Crail, West Virginia added two more runs to go into the ninth with a three run lead.
Trey Braithwaite (3 SO, 0 ER) entered the game in the top of the ninth, striking out the side to end the game, 9-6. With the win, the NCBWA All-American (3.00 ERA) picked up his second save of the season.
The Black Bears continue their winning streak to six games and improve to 8-10 on the season, just 2.5 GB from league leaders, the Williamsport Crosscutters.
West Virginia returns for the second game of the series at the Monongalia County Ballpark on Friday evening, where the team will also celebrate its first Friday Night Fireworks event of the season. First pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
