GRANVILLE, W.Va. – The West Virginia Black Bears won the second game of the Camo Classic Series against the State College Spikes, 5-3, at Kendrick Family Ballpark. Scoring five runs on nine hits, the Bears overcame an early Spikes’ lead to break their four-game skid.
Tyler Kaltreider took the mound in his eighth start for West Virginia, holding the Spikes to one hit in the first frame. The right-handed pitcher struck out the side in the second but allowed State College two runs in the third as CJ Richmond scored Jackson Rains and Ethan Swidler for a 2-0 advantage.
The Black Bears tied the game in the fourth after the lead-off walk of Ben Barrett and a single from catcher Zack Thompson put runners on the corners. Ian Collier’s line drive to center field plated Barrett for the Bears’ first run. Owen Petrich’s ground-rule double that hopped the center-field wall brought home Thompson to knot the game at two. Manager Dave Trembley sent in reliever Josh Gentile for Spikes’ starter Caleb Ruter, and Gentile secured the final two outs to halt the Bears’ attack.
State College scored another run in the fifth on an RBI single from Camden Ross, but West Virginia took the lead in the bottom of the inning. A single from Blake Wilson and three straight walks brought in the Bears’ third run to tie. With the bases loaded, Zach Kilby relieved Gentile with one out on the board. Jackson Trout’s 13th double of the season dropped into left field, allowing Thompson and Collier time to score for a 5-3 lead.
Reliever Carson Gipson came in for Kaltreider after three runs allowed through 5.0 innings of work. Gipson picked up two strikeouts in the sixth and retired the side in order in the seventh. Holding the State College offense quiet, Andrew Luczak struck out two in his single-inning appearance before closer Dawson Hall secured the win by sitting down three.
Breaking the four-game losing streak, Owen Petrich led the offense with three hits and an RBI double that tied the game in the fourth. Ben Barrett was 2-for-3 at the dish with one run, and Jackson Trout’s two-RBI double scored the go-ahead runs in the fifth frame. Starting pitcher Tyler Kaltreider (4-1) recorded his fourth win with six strikeouts, while Dawson Hall moved into third place in the MLB Draft League with save number five.
West Virginia returns for the rubber match against State College on Tuesday evening at Kendrick Family Ballpark. The series finale and the final game of the Camo Classic Series begins at 6:00 p.m., with the auction for game-worn Realtree camo jerseys ending at 8:00 p.m. sharp.
