SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

Power Slips past Greensboro 7-6

Published on August 15, 2012 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


The West Virginia Power edged the Greensboro Grasshoppers 7-6 on Wednesday at Appalachian Power Park. Alen Hanson broke a six-all tie in the seventh with a single and the Power bullpen held on to help West Virginia win the series.

In the home half of the second, the Power scored five runs against Grasshoppers starter Jose Urena. Francisco Aponte triple in the first two runs of the game before scoring on a sacrifice fly. Hanson followed with a walk and scored on a double by Taylor Lewis, who then scored on a base hit by Jose Osuna for a five run lead.

Greensboro scored once in the third and added another in the fourth, but West Virginia maintained a four run lead after Osuna drove in Aponte with a single for a 6-2 lead after four complete.

The Hoppers knocked Power starting pitcher Mike Jefferson from the game with a four-run fifth to tie the game. Jefferson hit Brent Keys with a pitch before walking Austin Barnes and Josh Adams to lead the bases. With two outs, John Schultz singled in a run. Matt Smith followed with a doubled to clear the bases and tie the game at six.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh. Junior Sosa singled off reliever James Nygren to lead off the inning. With one out Sosa stole second before Aponte walked. Elias Diaz reached on a fielder's choice that placed runners on the corners for the Power. Hanson hit a ground ball towards Barnes, the Hoppers' second baseman, but the throw was late, allowing Hanson to reach and Sosa to score for a 7-6 lead.

The Power bullpen pitched the final four and a third, allowing at least one base runner in every inning but the seventh. Greensboro put the tying run aboard in the eighth and loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth, but could not plated any other runs.

Joan Montero (3-0) earned the win with two and a third innings of relief while striking out three. Robbie Kilcrease pitched a scoreless eighth for his tenth hold this year and Nathan Kilcrease worked the ninth for his 12th save. Nygren (6-2) was charged with the loss for the Grasshoppers.

Eight of the nine players in the West Virginia lineup had at least one hit. Taylor Lewis lead the team with three hits, while Hanson, Sosa, and Aponte added two hits apiece as the Power took the rubber game of the series.

West Virginia's win coupled with a Hagerstown loss moved the Power back into sole possession of first place in the South Atlantic League's Northern Division. West Virginia leads Hagerstown by a half game and Hickory by a full game with 18 games remaining in the 2012 season.

The Power start a four game road trip to Kannapolis on Thursday evening and return home on Monday, August 20, for a seven-game homestand. West Virginia will welcome Charleston and Hickory to Appalachian Power Park during the second to last homestand of the regular season.

SECOND HALF RECORD: 29-23

OVERALL RECORD: 52-70

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South Atlantic League Stories from August 15, 2012


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