Power Smash Grasshoppers in Season Finale
September 7, 2009 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release
Charleston, WV (September 7, 2009) - Aaron Pribanic, Wilson Ortiz, Rafael De Los Santos and Alan Knotts combined to toss a one hit shutout on Monday afternoon as the West Virginia Power won their 40th game of the second half and closed out the 2009 season with a 10-0 victory over the Greensboro Grasshoppers at Appalachian Power Park.
The Power offense scored ten times on 12 hits and did a lot of their damage early in the contest. Erik Huber kept the bottom of the first inning alive with a two out single and scored moments later on Kyle Morgan's two-run homer, his ninth of the season. Calvin Anderson followed Morgan's bomb with a base hit and he came home on Bobby Spain's double to right-center field. West Virginia plated all three of their runs in the second inning on Erik Huber's fifth homerun of the season.
Greensboro's one hit was a lead off single from Isaac Galloway in the fourth inning. Nobody reached for the Grasshoppers after Galloway's base hit. Adenson Chourio reached on a fielder's choice which allowed Danny Bomback to score the first of four runs in the sixth inning. The bases were full when Huber hit a ground ball to third baseman Mike Pasek. Pasek's throw to the plate in an attempt to get Chourio on a force out bounced in the dirt and went to the backstop, allowing two more runs to score. Morgan brought in the final run of the contest just a few moments later on a sacrifice fly which plated Robbie Grossman.
Aaron Pribanic (4-2) tossed six strong innings. He held the Grasshoppers scoreless and allowed just one hit while striking out three in a winning effort. Sandy Rosario (3-2) was tagged for six runs on ten hits over four innings and suffered the loss. Wilson Ortiz, Rafael De Los Santos and Alan Knotts combined to throw three perfect innings in relief. The victory marks the fourth season in a row that the Power have had at least one half where they've registered 40 or more wins.
West Virginia improved to 67-70 overall, and 40-27 in the second half after the win, while Greensboro fell to 66-74 overall and 29-41 in the second half after the loss. Austin McClune paced the Power with a 3-for-4 performance. Adenson Chourio, Benji Gonzalez and Erik Huber all turned in two hits a piece, while Huber and Kyle Morgan drove in three runs a piece. West Virginia finished the 2009 season with 673 runs scored, the most in the South Atlantic League.
West Virginia is off for the next seven months, but will begin the 2010 season on the road at Historic Grayson Stadium in Savannah, Georgia against the Savannah Sand Gnats on April 8th, 2010.
South Atlantic League Stories from September 7, 2009
- Charleston clips Savannah in season finale, 7-6 - Charleston RiverDogs
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- Drive end regular season with win over Tourists, 5-1 - Greenville Drive
- Crawdads clipped by Intimidators, 4-1, in season finale - Hickory Crawdads
- Suns Lose Season Finale to Captains - Hagerstown Suns
- Mazzola Sends 2009 Jackets Off In Style - Augusta GreenJackets
- Tourists Fall in Final Regular Season Game - Asheville Tourists
- Power Smash Grasshoppers in Season Finale - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Legends win season's final game, sweep series - Lexington Legends
- Jarman Strong in Hot Rods Season Finale - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Kannapolis finishes regular season with 4-1 win over Hickory - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Frias, Suns Fall Short In Pitcher's Duel - Hagerstown Suns
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