NILES, OH – Luke Eldred recorded his best start in a West Virginia uniform at Eastwood Field on Thursday evening as he went six solid innings for the Black Bears and racked up 12 strikeouts in the 9-3 win over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. Pairing his start with another strong showing offensively, the Bears brought out the brooms to sweep the Scrappers in three games.
Eldred put on a solid display in his longest outing of the season as he accumulated the 12 strikeouts while limiting the Scrappers to just three walks in his six innings pitched.
The Black Bears offense got started in the top of the first when 1B Logan Mathieu singled to score LF Turner Hill. Mathieu, out of Liberty University, currently sits fourth in the MLB Draft League for RBI with 18 on the season. Two plays later, RF Tremaine Spears doubled the West Virginia advantage with a single that scored Mathieu.
In the second inning, DH Adan Fernandez singled to score SS Tyler Bosetti while Mathieu continued his offensive tear with a ground ball single that scored Hill once again.
Mahoning Valley struck back with a single run in the bottom of the inning when 1B Gabe Gonzalez singled to score RF Ron Washington Jr. and cut the deficit to 4-1.
Third baseman Jack Elliott led off the top of the third with his second ground-rule double in the MLB Draft League before he advanced to third on a wild pitch. After a passed ball from Scrappers catcher Taj Porter allowed Elliott to cross home, the Bears increased their lead to four runs.
Mahoning Valley struck again as Gonzalez sent a ball over the center field wall for homerun in the bottom of the fourth. Despite the solo shot, Eldred remained poised and allowed no runs from the Scrappers over his final 2.2 innings on the mound.
Elliott delivered once again in the top of the fifth inning when he doubled to right field, scoring Fernandez and Mathieu. With two outs in the inning, SS Tyler Bosetti struck out. Elliott stole third base, and 2B Jovante Dorris stole second base. An errant throw carried into left-center field aiming to gun down Dorris missed its target and allowed Elliott to cross the plate with ease.
Mahoning Valley tacked on a consolation run in the bottom of the seventh inning when SS Jeffrey Wehler recorded an RBI sacrifice fly that scored 3B Oscar Ponce.
But Jovante Dorris pushed West Virginia back up to the six-run cushion with a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth to score Mathieu for the ninth and final run of the evening.
Mathieu and Elliott each recorded four hits with Elliott ripping four doubles in as many trips to the plate to send the Black Bears home from Eastwood Field on a positive note.
West Virginia kicks off a three-game weekend series at Monongalia County Ballpark Friday night when they play host to the Frederick Keys. First pitch is at 7:05, and the game will be followed by Friday Night Fireworks show.
