Game Notes (June 1)
June 1, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release
The Power continues their four-game series against the Asheville Tourists this evening at McCormick Field, with first pitch set for 6:05 p.m. RHP Damon Casetta-Stubbs (2-3, 8.01 ERA) toes the slab for West Virginia.
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A LONG TIME TO WAIT FOR A SERIES WIN: West Virginia resumed its suspended game from April 20 on Friday evening and didn't skip a beat, as Devin Sweet took over on the hill and guided the Power to a 6-2 victory that claimed a series win in the April 18-20 series here in Asheville. With West Virginia up 6-0 in the fourth inning, Sweet mowed down the first seven men he faced, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning. However, Asheville managed to scratch across a one-out knock that led to a run later in the frame to end the bid. The Tourists tallied another run in the seventh, but Sweet was able to slam the door and pick up the win retroactively. The Power's offense, meanwhile, managed four hits over their final four offensive frames against Asheville relievers Jake Bird and Riley Pint.
POWER WALLOPED IN GAME TWO: Asheville's offense came alive in the second game Friday night, using three home runs to pummel West Virginia, 14-1, at McCormick Field. The Tourists plated one in the first inning against Ryne Inman before piling it on in the second. Asheville scored seven times on just three hits, including two home runs, a grand slam by Coco Montes and a three-run bomb from Grant Lavigne off reliever Ben Onsyhko, to make it 8-0. Asheville added one more in third inning before notching its second big inning of the day in the sixth against Nick Rodriguez, who made his second career MiLB appearance on the mound. The Tourists scratched across five more runs, with the big blow coming on Kyle Datres' grand slam, marking the second time this year Asheville has hit two grand slams in a game. West Virginia's lone bright spot in the game came in the seventh, as Onil Pena took Tourists' closer Alexander Martinez deep to straightaway center field, but that was all the offense the Power could muster. Asheville starter Colten Schmidt subdued West Virginia over six strong innings, ceding three hits and striking out eight.
SWEET AS HONEY: Bobby Honeyman has really caught fire of late, hitting safely in 15 of his last 17 games (May 13-present). He is averaging .328 (21-for-64) with seven RBI and 12 runs in that span. Honeyman is currently riding a six-game hitting streak as well, going back to May 24, his second streak of six games or more this season (8, May 13-20).
ROSA RISING: Following his 1-for-3 night in Friday's regularly-scheduled game, Joseph Rosa has recorded a hit in 10 of his last 13 games, dating back to May 16. In this span, the infielder is averaging .349 (15-for-43), the highest clip on the Power and seventh-best in the league, along with seven RBI and five extra-base hits (four doubles and one triple).
BIG-INNING BLUNDERS: Asheville's seven-run second inning is tied for the most runs West Virginia has given up in a single stanza this season, equaling Greensboro's ninth-inning output in their 17-7 barrage over the Power May 22 at Appalachian Power Park. West Virginia has had 10 big innings posted against them this year, with seven coming on the road.
THE LONG BALL: Pena's homer marked the 47th for West Virginia as a team in 2019, third-most in the South Atlantic League behind the Greensboro Grasshoppers (61) and the Hickory Crawdads (62). Pena now has seven home runs on the year, tied with Jake Anchia for the most long balls on the team among current players (Jarred Kelenic, 11). The Power hit 27 home runs in the month of May, tied for second-most in the league with the Charleston RiverDogs. Only Greensboro (31) had more home runs in the season's second month.
A MONTH TO FORGET: West Virginia is happy to see the month of May come to a close, as the team posted a 10-20 record this past month, the most losses of any team in the SAL. The Power also recorded a .224 average, the fourth-worst mark in the league, and a 5.44 ERA, the highest ERA of all Sally League staffs. West Virginia had not dropped 20 games in a single month since May 2012, when they put up an identical 10-20 record, while the pitching staff has not held a higher monthly ERA since April 2012, as the arms slotted in a 5.80 earned run average over 24 games.
DOMINANT DAYEISON: Dayeison Arias shut down the last major Tourists rally in the seventh Thursday night, entering with runners at the corners and two down with Asheville's hottest hitter in Terrin Vavra at the dish. The reliever induced a groundout and cruised through the other three batters he faced in the eighth. Arias has not allowed an earned run in his last 11 appearances (April 25-present), during which he has thrown 17 innings, ceded just six hits and struck out 21 batters compared to four walks. Only one other pitcher in the SAL has a spotless ERA with at least that many innings under their belt in this span, Kannapolis starter Johan Dominguez (21 innings, six games, four starts).
POWER POINTS: Four of West Virginia's five hits Friday night were singles... Inman notched the shortest outing of the year for a Power starter. The right-hander's seven runs allowed are tied for the most he's given up in a start in his career.
South Atlantic League Stories from June 1, 2019
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- Adon's Strong Pitching Leads Suns to Wild Victory - Hagerstown Suns
- Claws Fall 7-3 at Greensboro on Saturday - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Deja Vu; Tourists Blast Power in Second Straight Game - Asheville Tourists
- Power Smacked by Tourists, 16-1, Saturday - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Columbia Hangs on for 3-2 Victory - Augusta GreenJackets
- Vientos' Clutch Hits Help Fireflies Fend off Pesky GreenJackets - Columbia Fireflies
- Fireflies Game Notes: June 1 vs. Augusta (Game 55) - Columbia Fireflies
- Game Notes (June 1) - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Hagerstown Suns Game Notes - Hagerstown Suns
- Rome Evens Series with Convincing 6-1 Victory over Suns - Rome Emperors
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