NILES, OH – The West Virginia Black Bears fell to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, 9-0, at 7 17 Credit Union Field at Eastwood on Thursday evening.
Mahoning Valley struck first in the bottom of the fourth after an early pitchers' duel. Kaikea Harrison delivered an RBI single to score Noah Jouras for the game's first run before Jordan Taylor followed with an RBI double that plated Harrison, giving the Scrappers a 2-0 advantage.
The Scrappers added to their lead later in the fifth when Zion Williams launched a two-run home run to straightaway center field, bringing home Maddox Mihalakis and extending the margin to four.
Mahoning Valley continued to build its lead in the sixth. Cooper Vance lined an RBI single into right field, allowing Jayden Hylton to score and push the advantage to 5-0.
After a scoreless seventh inning, the Scrappers put the game out of reach with four more runs in the eighth. Hylton opened the rally with an RBI ground-ball single that scored Harrison before Mihalakis ripped an RBI double down the left-field line to bring home Taylor. Hylton later scored on a wild pitch, and Vance drove in the final run of the night with a groundout that allowed Mihalakis to cross the plate.
Despite the final score, the Black Bears' pitching staff showed resilience early. Working through four scoreless innings to open the night, starting pitcher Connor Hensley kept Mahoning Valley quiet early, forcing the Scrappers to chase soft contact before their offense finally broke through. West Virginia's bullpen continued to battle throughout the night, working through difficult situations despite the Scrappers' late offensive surge.
The Black Bears return to Eastwood Field on Thursday, July 24, for Game Two of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:17 p.m. as West Virginia looks to even the series against Mahoning Valley.
