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NYPL West Virginia Black Bears

Spikes Snag Series from Black Bears

August 10, 2018 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
West Virginia Black Bears News Release


GAME ONE

Granville, W. Va. - Kicking off a three-game road series, the West Virginia Black Bears were defeated by the State College Spikes by a score of 3-2.

Despite the West Virginia pitching staff only surrendering one earned run, State College mounted a late-inning comeback to steal the first game.

Neither team scored a run through the first four innings of the game, as Black Bears pitcher Nicholas Economos dominated the Spikes during his spot start.

Then in the top of the fifth, West Virginia got on the board. After C Grant Koch tripled to start the frame, LF Edison Lantigua drove him home on a sac-fly to give his team a 1-0 lead.

State College finally got a run in the bottom of the inning. The home team tied the game on an RBI single to knot the game at one run apiece.

Economos exited the game after the fifth inning, surrendering one unearned run on five, striking out seven batters with two walks.

The Black Bears retook the lead in the top of the sixth inning. SS Connor Kaiser came through with a single to retake the lead at 2-1.

The Spikes tied up the game again heading in the bottom of the eighth on and RBI double, sending the contest into the final inning.

After a scoreless top of the ninth, State College walked-off in the bottom of the inning. With a runner on third base and two outs, the Spikes won the game on a passed ball to take game one at home.

GAME TWO

In game two, the West Virginia Black Bears lost to the State College Spikes 8-7 in a high-scoring contest.

The teams combined for 22 hits in the game, eight of which came from the Black Bears.

The Spikes started off the game in the bottom of the first inning with an RBI single to put the game at 1-0.

Then in the top of the second, DH Jhoan Herrera tied the game. His solo home run to right field was his fourth of the season, tying a team-high and knotting the game at one run apiece.

State College got a run back in the bottom of the fifth inning. Another single to the outfield drove home the home team's second run of the ballgame to take a 2-1 lead.

West Virginia came back with four runs in the top of the seventh inning. With the bases loaded, 2B Paul Brands drew a walk to bring home a run and tie the game

After a fielding error gave the Black Bears two more runs, 1B Luke Mangieri drew a bases-loaded walk of his own, giving his team a three-run cushion at 5-2.

In a back and-forth contest, the Spikes responded with four runs to retake the lead. A two-RBI single, a throwing error, and a bases-loaded walk gave State College a one-run lead with two innings to go.

The Spikes got two more runs on a single to centerfield in the eighth inning, taking an 8-5 lead with one frame to play.

West Virginia didn't go quietly in the ninth. C Mike Gretler made it a one-run ballgame on a two-RBI double in the gap, helping to cut the game close with only one out.

Unfortunately, the Black Bears couldn't complete the comeback. After a pitching change, State College got the two outs the team needed to take the win in game two.

GAME THREE

In the series finale, the West Virginia Black Bears gutted out a victory over the State College Spikes 3-2.

The West Virginia pitching staff rebounded after a rough outing the prior day, surrendering only one hit in the ballgame.

State College jumped out to an early lead in the first two innings. An RBI-single in the first and a fielder's choice in the second gave the home team a 2-0 lead.

From there on out, the Black Bears took control. 3B Melvin Jimenez led the charge in the top of the fourth inning, driving in a run on a fielder's choice of his own to cut the Spikes' lead in half.

Then in the top of the seventh inning, CF Travis Swaggerty came through to tie the game. His RBI single to centerfield tied the game at 2-2. A wild pitch, two batters later gave the visitors the lead, looking to the pitching staff to close it out.

The West Virginia bullpen was immaculate in the final five innings. Newly acquired reliever Argenis Romano threw two innings of hitless baseball, picking up three strikeouts to boot.

P Cam Alldred followed him with two scoreless innings of his own, dropping his ERA down to a staggering 1.13 as the All-Star Game approaches.

In the bottom of the ninth, P Logan Stoelke closed it out. The righty retired all three batters he faced, sealing the win to close out the three-game series.

The Black Bears return home tomorrow night to begin a two-game series with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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