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MLBDL West Virginia Black Bears

Black Bears' Hot Streak Snapped with Game One Loss to Scrappers

July 8, 2022 - Major League Baseball Draft League (MLBDL)
West Virginia Black Bears News Release


Niles, OH - The West Virginia Black Bears dropped the first game of the series to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, 2-1, on a walk-off single by Scrappers' catcher Adrian Salas at Eastwood Field. After winning the last six straight games, the Black Bears entered Friday night's contest against the Scrappers with more confidence than in their last meeting in early June, but they were unable to close the deal at the plate with a paltry two hits through nine innings.

The first five innings of play turned into a pitcher's duel between the Scrappers' Michael Brewer and the Black Bears' Zach Bravo. Each time Bravo took the mound and put up a scoreless inning, Brewer did the same for Mahoning Valley. Bravo finished his appearance with just four hits and five strikeouts through five innings of work.

West Virginia struck first in the top of the sixth inning when the Scrappers went to the bullpen. With a lead-off single to center field, 2B Daunte Staurt advanced to third base in a matter of minutes courtesy of a pair of wild pitches from Scrappers' reliever Derrick Cherry. RF Sam Crail reached on a fielding error by Mahoning Valley's 2B Zach Storbakken that gave Stuart the opportunity to cross home plate.

Black Bears' RHP Rhian Mann took to the mound for the bottom half of the sixth inning and gave up a pair of singles to the first two batters. A wild pitch from Mann allowed CF Buck Anderson to score before Ulloa was thrown out at the plate trying to score the go-ahead run on the same play. Mann closed the inning on a strikeout and a groundout to first with the game tied at 1-1.

West Virginia's bullpen walked the tightrope again in the seventh inning, but RHP Ryan Velazquez was able to get out of the jam without conceding another run. In the eighth, Will Schomberg neared peak efficiency as he threw a scoreless inning for the Bears, striking out all three batters with 11 pitches.

In the ninth inning, three consecutive groundouts from the heart of the Bears' lineup shut down any hopes of a West Virginia win in regulation. In the home half, the Scrappers offense put runners at first and second after a lead-off single and a hit by pitch. Bears' pitcher Wyatt Wendell was able to record an out, but both runners advanced. West Virginia then elected to intentionally walk 2B Zach Storbakken in hopes of setting up the inning-ending double play that would send the game to sudden death, but Mahoning Valley catcher Adrian Salas walked it off with a single to right field that scored LF Zach Dezenzo.

The loss snapped the Black Bears winning streak and continued the trend of losses to Mahoning Valley. The Black Bears fall to 16-14 on the season with eight of their 14 losses to the Scrappers. West Virginia looks to even the series and record its first win against Mahoning Valley in 2022 on Saturday night. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

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