GRANVILLE, W.Va. - The West Virginia Black Bears dropped their Independence Day Eve game to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers 7-5 at Kendrick Family Ballpark. Though the Bears showed a lot of grit and determination, a six-run Scrappers’ lead proved insurmountable.
West Virginia struck first as Sam Miller brought home Tyler Pettorini in the bottom of the first. The lead would not last as starting pitcher David Leslie struggled on the mound. After loading the bases in the top of the second, the Scrappers scored six runs on three hits.
The next inning, the Scrappers padded their lead with a home run off the bat of Trey Fenderson. Despite his fight to maintain control, Leslie got out of the inning, ending his appearance with seven earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Heading into the home half, West Virginia trailed 7-1.
Attempting a comeback, West Virginia cut Mahoning Valley’s lead to four in the bottom of the inning with Connor Hicks doubling to bring home Tyler Cerny and Pettorini.
The Black Bears added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth, reducing the Scrappers' lead with back-to-back RBI singles from Cerny and Pettorini. The momentum hit a wall as West Virginia recorded only one hit until the ninth inning when Cerny picked up his final base hit. The Kentucky commit advanced within 90 feet of scoring but was left on third after Judah Morris struck out to end the game.
After giving up seven runs in the first three innings, the Bears' bullpen shut down Mahoning Valley, punching out ten batters in the remaining six frames. Reliever Will Rogers locked down the opposing batters with five punchouts in his three-inning outing. Aiden Moffett added three K in his appearance, pitching two hitless, scoreless innings.
Tyler Pettorini stood out despite the loss, with three hits, two runs and an RBI. Pettorini (.345) ranks third in the league, behind Black Bear teammates Tyler Cerny (.383) and Connor Hicks (.348) in overall batting average. Cerny, the former Indiana Hoosier, went three-for-five with two hits. The team’s inability to bring home runners proved their downfall as the Black Bears were 3-10 with runners in scoring position with nine left on base.
With the loss, the Black Bears (11-10) are now tied with the State College Spikes for third in the MLB Draft League. West Virginia begins a three-game road trip to Mahoning Valley and Williamsport on Friday, July 4th, returning home Tuesday, July 8th, for a five-game stretch starting against Trenton Thunder.
