SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

Mitchell's Big Day at the Plate Headlines 13-2 West Virginia Victory

Published on April 21, 2018 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


CHARLESTON, WV - Calvin Mitchell's career day at the plate, combined with Braeden Ogle's second consecutive quality start, headlined an explosive day for the Power, who cruised to a 13-2 win over the Asheville Tourists on Saturday afternoon at Appalachian Power Park. Mitchell has now hit safely in seven consecutive games, the longest streak by a West Virginia batter in 2018, while Ogle tossed the Power's fifth quality start in their last six games.

Mitchell was 4-for-5 on Saturday with four RBI, tying his career highs in hits and RBI that he set in the GCL in August 2017. The Pirates' 16th-best prospect per MLB.com collected a trio of singles to go along with a triple in his offensive-heavy day. Over his seven-game hitting streak, Mitchell is batting 15-for-31 (.484) with a home run and nine RBI.

Ogle (2-0) completed six innings and struck out a career-high eight batters while allowing one run to cross the plate. The lefty's pitch count was elevated early, as he had to work his way out of multiple jams in both the first and second inning. He used three strikeouts and an assist from catcher Rafelin Lorenzo to nab Taylor Snyder stealing to get out of the two frames. After that, it was all Ogle, as he set down eight consecutive batters in one stretch, beginning with the last batter in the second, and struck out the side in the sixth before he exited the game.

Including the Florida native's start today, the West Virginia (10-6) rotation (including Evan Piechota's defacto quality outing on April 17) has now completed six consecutive quality starts, posting a 1.50 ERA (6 ER in 36 IP) in that span.

Mitchell's first RBI of the game came in another jam-packed third inning. Ben Bengtson reached on an error, and after Lorenzo singled and Chris Sharpe walked, Mitchell socked a single against Asheville (3-13) starter Antonio Santos (0-3) for the first run of the game. Following a wild pitch from Santos that scored Lorenzo, Mason Martin capped off the inning with a two-run double that sent home Sharpe and Mitchell.

The Power bats were not done there, as they would score one in the fifth and the seventh before coming to life against Tommy Doyle and the Tourists in the eighth, sending 11 batters to the plate and tallying seven runs, including a home run and an RBI single Dylan Busby, a two-run double from Oneil Cruz, and a base-scoring knock from Lorenzo. The seven runs West Virginia plated in the eighth inning are tied for the most runs they have scored in an inning in 2018 (9th inning, April 14 at Hickory).

Matt Seelinger and Jacob Taylor closed out the game for West Virginia, combining for three innings of solid relief. Seelinger went one inning without allowing a hit and Taylor spun the final two and wrung up two batters.

The Power concludes its four-game series against the Asheville Tourists on Sunday afternoon, with first pitch set for 2:05 p.m. at Appalachian Power Park. LHP Ike Schlabach (0-0, 5.91 ERA) is on the bump against Asheville lefty Lucas Gilbreath (1-0, 8.18 ERA). Pregame coverage begins at 1:45 p.m. on The Jock 1300 and 1340 AM, as well as online at wvpower.com and via the TuneIn Radio App and the MiLB First Pitch App.

West Virginia will host Kidz Sunday Funday in the series finale. All members of the Sheetz Kidz Club will have free entry into the game and will be able to run the bases postgame, sponsored by SMART529 College Savings program. In addition, select players will be available fpr autographs after the ballgame, and kids are invited to play catch in the outfield prior to first pitch. For tickets and more information, call the Power at 304-344-2287 or visit wvpower.com.

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South Atlantic League Stories from April 21, 2018


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