SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

Power Withstands Late Hickory Charge

Published on May 19, 2016 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


(Charleston, WV)- The West Virginia Power won the series opener against the Hickory Crawdads 7-6 in at Appalachian Power Park. The Power scored in five of the first seven innings and held off a late charge from Hickory to win their first game in Charleston following a seven game road trip.

The Power jumped out to an early lead in the second inning off starter Wes Benjamin. Daniel Arribas led off with a walk and came around to score on a Christian Kelly sacrifice fly to put West Virginia up 1-0.

Hickory came back to take the lead in the top of the second when Chris Garia hit a two RBI triple. That advantage was short lived as the Power retook the lead in the bottom of the inning. After Cole Tucker hit a leadoff double, Ke'Bryan Hayes hit a groundball into right field to score Tucker and tie the game 2-2. One batter later Arribas singled home Hayes, giving the Power a 3-2 lead. Arribas finished 2-2 with two walks, reaching base safely in all four plate appearances.

Those two runs were all that Power starter Dario Agrazal allowed over seven innings, striking out three and walking one. Agrazal (2-3) has allowed two runs or less in six of his eight starts this year.

Benjamin (2-2) took the loss after surrendering three runs and six hits over three innings.

After a scoreless fourth, West Virginia added four runs in the next three innings. In the fifth The Power loaded the bases with one out on three straight singles, and Casey Hughston forced in a run with a walk. They tacked on another in the sixth when Hayes singled home Christian Kelley for his second RBI knock of the night.

West Virginia finished off their scoring in the seventh. After back to back walks to start the inning, Ryan Nagle hit a two RBI triple into deep center to put the Power up 7-2.

Hickory cut the deficit to a single run in an eight batter four run eighth, keyed by a bases clearing double by Chuck Moorman. However, Julio Eusebio retired the side in order in the ninth to pick up his team-leading third save of the year, preserving the 7-6 victory.

Mitchell Tolman, Carlos Munoz, Hayes and Arribas all finished with multi-hit games, with Tolman leading the way going 3-5. Six of the nine Power starters finished with an RBI, with Nagle's two pacing the club.

West Virginia tries for two in a row against Hickory in the second game of the series Friday night. Mitch Keller gets the ball for the Power, matched up against Dillon Tate for the Crawdads. First pitch is at 7:05 P.M. at Appalachian Power Park.

Record

20-19

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South Atlantic League Stories from May 19, 2016


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