ABERDEEN, Md. – The West Virginia Black Bears put together one of their most complete performances of the season on Tuesday night, shutting out the Aberdeen IronBirds, 11-0, behind a balanced offensive attack and dominant pitching.
The Black Bears struck first in the second inning when Isaac Wachsmann launched a two-run home run to left-center, scoring Jose Fernandez for an early 2-0 lead.
West Virginia continued to build its advantage in the fourth. Marcus Bradshaw drove in Dylan Schlaegel with an RBI single before Owen Henne followed with a base hit to score Bradshaw. Walker Barron added an RBI single to plate Henne, and Jose Fernandez capped the five-run inning with a three-run homer to left-center, extending the Black Bears' lead to 8-0.
The offense wasn't finished. In the fifth inning, the Black Bears added another run after Kahanu Martinez drew a bases-loaded walk, bringing home Schlaegel to make it 9-0.
Schlaegel tripled to lead off the sixth before scoring on Bradshaw's sacrifice fly, giving West Virginia a 10-0 advantage.
The Black Bears added their final run in the eighth inning as Kahanu Martinez delivered an RBI single to score Sam Miller, capping the scoring at 11-0.
On the mound, the Black Bears pitching staff was outstanding from start to finish, combining for a shutout while limiting the Aberdeen offense to just four hits. Starting pitcher Gabriel Barrett (2-2) held the line for the Bears defense, striking out seven in his six-inning appearance. The bullpen consistently worked ahead in the count and recorded six strikeouts, never allowing the IronBirds to generate sustained offensive momentum.
West Virginia finished with 11 runs on 11 hits, highlighted by home runs from Wachsmann and Fernandez, while Bradshaw, Henne, Barron, and Martinez each contributed RBIs in the victory.
The Black Bears will look to carry their momentum into game two of the series against the IronBirds on June 24 at Ripken Stadium.
