SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

Power Swept in Doubleheader by Legends Saturday

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


LEXINGTON, KY - West Virginia scored first in both games of Saturday's twin bill, but the Legends were able to come back and claim a doubleheader sweep over the Power at Whitaker Bank Ballpark, winning game one, 6-4, before taking game two, 4-2.

Game 1: LEXINGTON 6, WEST VIRGINIA 4 (F/7)

West Virginia (13-14, 50-43) struck first in the opening frame against Lexington (13-14, 50-45) starter Yefri Del Rosario. After Lolo Sanchez walked and stole second, Jesse Medrano singled him over to third to put runners at the corners with nobody out. Following a strikeout by Calvin Mitchell, Deon Stafford lofted a sacrifice fly to left-center field that plated Sanchez to give the Power a 1-0 lead. The next batter, Ben Bengtson, poked one just above the right-field fence for his fourth home run of the season, extending West Virginia's lead to 3-0. Three of Bengtson's four homers have come at Whitaker Bank Ballpark this season.

The Legends responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first, as Seuly Matias stroked a two-run double that scored Kyle Isbel and Nick Pratto, who both worked walks against Travis MacGregor earlier in the frame.

Both teams were scoreless in the second and third, but the Power broke through again in the fourth. Following a string of six strikeouts in seven batters by Del Rosario, Stafford kicked off the fourth by roping a triple to left-center. Del Rosario battled back to fan Bengtson, but Ryan Peurifoy plopped one into right to score Stafford and push West Virginia's lead to 4-2.

Lexington fired back in the home half of the fourth, however, as MacGregor saw his streak of eight straight batters retired snapped after he hit Matias to begin the frame. Manny Olloque then crushed a home run to right-center, his third of the season, to tie the game at four.

Following the conclusion of the fifth inning, the game was placed into a weather delay due to a heavy storm that rolled through the Lexington area, ending MacGregor and Rosario's nights on the slab. MacGregor fanned eight batters over his five innings of work, the most he has struck out since May 1 against Augusta.

Play resumed in Lexington after a 29-minute delay, with Tad Ratliff (2-0) taking over on the hill for the Legends. Ratliff allowed a lead-off single to Bengtson, but then induced a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Peurifoy before inducing a groundout from Fabricio Macias to end the inning.

Beau Sulser (4-6) replaced MacGregor on the rubber for the Power and struck out the first batter he faced in the sixth, Olloque. He walked Sebastian Rivero before setting down Cal Jones on a fly out for the second out of the inning. Marten Gasparini then stroked a single to right that pushed Rivero to third while Gasparini scampered to second on Peurifoy's throw towards third. The next batter, Ricky Aracena, grounded one right to the shortstop, Robbie Glendinning, but the newest West Virginia infielder could not field it cleanly as it rolled into left-center field, bringing in Rivero and Gasparini to vault Lexington in front, 6-4.

Ratliff worked around a lead-off single in the seventh to secure his second win of the season.

Game 2: LEXINGTON 4, WEST VIRGINIA 2 (F/7)

For the second straight game, the Power (13-15, 50-44) struck first in the opening frame. With one out in the inning, Medrano singled before moving to third on a laced double from Mitchell. The next batter, Raul Hernandez, grounded one through the left side against Legends starter Holden Capps to plate Medrano and Mitchell and put West Virginia ahead 2-0.

Ike Schlabach (6-2) kept Lexington (14-14, 51-45) quiet through the first two frames, but they were able to answer the Power's first-inning output in the third. Carlos Diaz led off the inning with a double and scored two batters later on Isbel's RBI single. Isbel then swiped second and moved to third on a throwing error by Hernandez before crossing the plate thanks to a sacrifice fly from Perez, tieing the game at two.

Matias broke the tie in the fourth, blistering his MiLB-leading 27th home run of the season to deep center field, traveling 433 feet and scooting the Legends in front, 3-2. Matias also tied Lexington's franchise record for home runs in a single season, previously set by Brian Pellegrini in 2009.

The Legends added an insurance run later in the frame, as Gasparini singled with two down and then came all the way around from first to score on a fielding error by Oneil Cruz, extending Lexington's lead to 4-2 and ending Schlabach's night.

Samuel Reyes relieved Schlabach and fanned the final batter of the fourth, Matt Morales, to end the threat. Reyes set down all four batters he faced in his 1.1 innings of relief work.

Garrett Suchey (1-1) earned the win after tossing a scoreless fifth inning with three strikeouts, while Sal Biasi (S, 3) spun the sixth and seventh innings to lock down his third save of the season in four tries.

West Virginia concludes its four-game series with Lexington Sunday afternoon at Whitaker Bank Ballpark, with first pitch set for 2:05 p.m. LHP Domingo Robles (7-6, 3.38 ERA) takes the hill for the Power, while the Legends counter with righty Charlie Neuweiler (0-0, 2.57 ERA). Pregame coverage begins at 1:45 p.m. on The Jock 1300 and 1340 AM, as well as online at www.wvpower.com and via the TuneIn Radio App and MiLB First Pitch App.

After their eight-game road trip, the Power returns home for their final homestand of July, with the Asheville Tourists coming to town from July 27-29. On Friday, July 27, West Virginia hosts Faith and Family Night, presented by Mako Medical Laboratories, which will feature a postgame fireworks show, presented by TransCanada and Electric 102.7, as well as pregame concerts from The Jason Lovins Band and the New Life 94.5 2018 Power Factor competition winner, The Sycomores. On Saturday, July 28, the first 1,000 fans will receive a bucket hat giveaway, courtesy of IHOP. The homestand wraps up Sunday, July 29, with a Kid's Sunday Funday. For tickets and more information, call the Power at 304-344-2287 or visit www.wvpower.com.

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 21, 2018


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