MLBDL West Virginia Black Bears

Black Bears Clinch Weekend Series over Trenton with 4-3 Win on Father's Day

Published on June 18, 2023 under Major League Baseball Draft League (MLBDL)
West Virginia Black Bears News Release


GRANVILLE, W. Va. - The West Virginia Black Bears defeated the Trenton Thunder, 4-3, to secure the series win at Monongalia County Ballpark on Father's Day. The Bears took an early lead and padded it with three runs in the sixth. Though the Thunder mounted a comeback in the top of the seventh, the Bears held on with another strong performance from the bullpen.

Cobe Reeves, the Black Bears starting pitcher, set the tone for the game by retiring the side in the first inning. The defense made quick work of the Trenton lineup, getting through the first two innings with just one hit.

In the bottom of the second, 3B Caleb McNeely got the Black Bears on the board with a solo home run to put West Virginia up by one.

Taking the mound for Reeves in the sixth, RHP Evan Brandt posted a shutdown inning with one hit and one strikeout to send the game into the home half.

After three empty frames for both teams, the Black Bears had a breakout inning in the bottom of the sixth. West Virginia quickly loaded the bases and capitalized on a single from RF Kirk Liebert that drove in 1B Justin Fogel. Trenton reliever Carlton Perkins loaded the bases again, leading to Tahir Meulens driving in 3B Caleb McNeely and center fielder RJ Johnson to increase the lead to 4-0.

Bears' pitcher Dawson Taylor replaced Evan Brandt to start the seventh. Taylor got the Black Bears in a jam as he gave up three earned runs on four hits, cutting the lead to 4-3. Manager David Carpenter sent Taylor back to the bullpen after 0.1 innings pitched and called in RHP Cody Tucker, who struck out the last two batters.

The Black Bears retained their 4-3 lead at the top of the eighth, capping it off with a double play.

Louis-Phillipe Langevin closed out the game for the Black Bears, striking out two of three Thunder batters and securing the 4-3 win to take the series.

Cobe Reeves picked up his first win and dropped to a stunning 0.66 ERA - the lowest in the MLB Draft League for any pitcher with over 11 innings pitched (13.2). Reeves, from Ingleside, Texas, threw five scoreless innings and allowed just two hits with one walk and three strikeouts. With the exception of 0.1 innings in the seventh, the Bears' bullpen performed efficiently with eight strikeouts and only four hits in 8.2 innings.

Caleb McNeely had one of his best performances as a Black Bear, going one-for-three with two runs and an RBI, courtesy of his second inning homer. Tahir Meulens and RJ Johnson both ended the night with two hits in four at-bats as Johnson also recorded one run in the bottom of the sixth. Meulens, from Bluefield State, drove in two, quietly working his way into the team's five highest batting averages (.318).

With the win, the Bears take sole possession of third place in the overall league standings, one game behind the Thunder and two games behind the first-place Frederick Keys. The Black Bears are back in action on Tuesday, June 20, at 6:35 p.m. as they take on the State College Spikes in Happy Valley for a three-game series. West Virginia returns home for a second weekend series beginning on Friday, June 23.

For more information on tickets and promotions, please visit www.WestVirginiaBlackBears.com.

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Major League Baseball Draft League Stories from June 18, 2023


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