GRANVILLE, W.Va. – The West Virginia Black Bears took the series from the Trenton Thunder with a dominant 14-run shut out at Kendrick Family Ballpark on Thursday evening. After putting up just five hits the previous game, West Virginia bounced back with 13 as each Black Bear recorded at least one. Starting pitcher Scott Rienguette and the bullpen held the Thunder to four hits with 12 total strikeouts.
West Virginia got off to a hot start with two runs in the bottom of the first. Judah Morris drove in Tyler Cerny for the first run, followed swiftly by Tyler Pettorini as Connor Hicks picked up an RBI single.
The runs continued to come into the third, as a lead-off triple put Cerny in scoring position before Pettorini sent him home with an RBI groundout. Two innings later, the Bears extended their lead with three runs on consecutive base hits from the bottom of the order. Sam Miller notched an RBI on a double that scored Hicks. A single from Bryan Arendt plated Miller before Arendt headed home on a Ben Lumsden double.
Judah Morris put the Black Bears on top by 10 with a home run drilled deep into centerfield in the bottom of the sixth. Miller picked up his second RBI double on a line drive that scored Nico Newhan from first. Heading into the seventh inning, West Virginia led 11-0.
The Black Bears added three more runs on walks after the stretch as reliever Clayton Johnson struggled to maintain control on the mound. Despite the six walks, Johnson struck out three Bears to end the seventh inning.
Closing the game for the West Virginia, newcomer Joe Steeber held the Thunder to one hit in his three-inning appearance. Steeber, who recently joined from University of Texas-Arlington, punched out the side in the ninth to seal the win.
Though West Virginia’s offense commanded the most attention, the Bears bullpen worked efficiently, striking out 12 with just two walks. Starter Scott Rienguette struck out five in his four-inning appearance. The right-handed pitcher from Kansas State allowed just two hits in the top of the third but retired the side in the remaining three frames. Miguel Galvez got his first win in two innings of work, and Steeber, the save, with six strikeouts in his three innings.
On a hot night for the Black Bears bats, Judah Morris was top performer, going two-for-five with four RBI and a home run in the sixth. In total, the Bears connected 13 times with 10 walks in their 14-run win.
With the win, West Virginia stays tied at second with State College in the MLB Draft League standings, still half a game behind the top-ranked Mahoning Valley Scrappers with two games remaining. The Black Bears return to face the Scrappers in the biggest series of the first half beginning Friday evening at Kendrick Family Ballpark. Friday night’s Bike Night features post-game fireworks presented by Triple-S Harley Davidson, and the Black Bears end their first-half push with fan-favorite Star Wars Night presented by WVU Medicine on Saturday, July 12.
