SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

Power Falls to Split Series

Published on May 8, 2016 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


(Charleston, WV- May 8, 2016)- The Hagerstown Suns knocked off the West Virginia Power on Sunday afternoon at Appalachian Power Park to earn at least a split of the four game series. Tito Polo launched his fourth home run of the season in the 4-3 loss.

Power starter Dario Agrazal and Suns starter Joan Baez traded shutout innings until the third when the Suns broke through with an RBI triple from Kelvin Gutierrez. Hagerstown added another run in the second on a run-scoring fielders choice to build the lead to 2-0.

Those were the only runs surrendered by Agrazal (1-3), who allowed four hits and two runs, one earned, through five innings while striking out five.

Baez (1-3) faced just one over the minimum in five innings, limiting the Power to one hit and a walk.

The Suns finished off their scoring with two runs in the sixth, highlighted by three straight hits to lead off the inning including an RBI double from Rhett Wiseman, expanding the lead to 4-0 Hagerstown.

The score remained the same until the eighth inning when the Power got on the scoreboard. After a Ty Moore single, Tito Polo lined one overtop the left field wall for his fourth home run, tying him for the team lead with Daniel Arribas. The two runs batted in give him 13 on the season, second most on the club. That cut the deficit in half, trimming the Suns lead to 4-2.

The Power were able to shorten the lead to a run in the ninth inning after Mitchell Tolman hit a sacrifice fly to score Alfredo Reyes, making it 4-3 Suns. However, Hagerstown reliever Mariano Rivera III stymied the comeback attempt by coaxing a game-ending fielder's choice with the tying run stranded at first.

Seven of the nine Power starter picked up at least a hit, including Cole Tucker who went 1-4 and recorded his first base hit of the season on a line-drive single to left in his 2016 debut.

The Power will try to break a four-game losing streak in game three of the series on Saturday afternoon. West Virginia will send South Atlantic League Player-of-the-Month Mitch Keller to the mound, opposed by Hagerstown starter Matthew DeRosier. The game is also a Family Buck Night, with $1 general admission tickets and $1 concession specials. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 P.M. at Appalachian Power Park.

First Half Record

16-13

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South Atlantic League Stories from May 8, 2016


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