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MLBDL West Virginia Black Bears

West Virginia Loses by One for Third Straight Night

August 11, 2024 - Major League Baseball Draft League (MLBDL)
West Virginia Black Bears News Release


GRANVILLE, W.Va. - The West Virginia Black Bears lost the final game of the series against the State College Spikes 5-4 Kendrick Family Ballpark on Sunday afternoon. After the Spikes took an early lead, the Bears' clawed back within one but could not overcome the deficit.

As in the previous two games, the Spikes scored in the first inning. A single and two walks loaded the bases as starter Aric McAtee struggled to gain control on the mound. Two sacrifice fly balls from Cameron Bufford and Knox Preston plated Austin Roccaforte and Cooper Hext to go up two. A wild pitch from McAtee allowed Parker Coddou to score, giving the Spikes a three-run lead.

West Virginia hopped on the board in the third inning to cut the lead to two. Ryan Grabosch doubled to lead off the inning before a sac-bunt from Chris Einemann moved him to third. T.J. Williams sent him home for the Bears' first run.

Another Black Bears' run followed in the fourth as outfielder Jeff Liquori led off with a base hit. Reaching on a walk, Alex Vergara took first after a wild pitch sent Liquori to second. Connor McGuire's sacrifice bunt shifted the pair of Bears into scoring position before Marr roped a hit into the gap to send Liquori sliding around a tag at home. Kendal Ewell reached on walks to load the bases, but they were quickly emptied with two outs before the Bears could advance. Heading into the fifth, the Black Bears trailed 3-2.

The Spikes extended their lead to 5-2 in the top of the fifth with Josh Spiegel easily making it home on a throwing error by catcher Ryan Grabosch. After a wild pitch from McAtee hit the backstop, Coddou stole home to regain the three-run lead.

Michael Gemma entered in the sixth inning for the Bears. In his short outing, Gemma loaded the bases with Spikes with 12 balls before being replaced with right-handed pitcher Will Carsten. Working his way out of the jam, Carsten took Spiegel down swinging for the first out. A force out at home prevented another State College run, and Liquori capped the frame with a diving save.

Continuing to chip away at the Spikes' lead, Ewell and Grabosch led off the sixth inning with consecutive base hits. Einemann's sacrifice bunt put the two in scoring position, and a groundout allowed Ewell to score to cut the lead to two.

Black Bears' righty Christian Womble made his appearance in the eighth inning. Opening with a strikeout and closing by catching a line drive back to the mound, Womble and the defense retired the Spikes in order.

Never a team to quit, West Virginia continued its rally attempts in the bottom of the inning as pinch hitter Trace Willhoite took over for Einemann in the order. On the third offering from Phillip Bryant, the former Lipscomb Bison smashed a solo home run to the ticket office roof, cutting the deficit back to one.

Jack Maruskin entered to relieve Womble's efficient inning, posting three strikeouts to remove a base runner and preserve West Virginia's hope for a win.

With three outs remaining in the game, Liquori walked to first, but the Bears ended the inning on a fly out to Coddou.

Frustrated at the plate, West Virginia tallied 10 hits, out-hitting State College by seven, but stranding 10 on base during the game. Jeff Liquori and Ryan Grobosch each posted two hits, with Liquori going two-for-three at the plate. T.J. Williams recorded two RBI, and Trace Willhoite picked up his second home run of the season with a solo shot in the eighth.

The defense held the Spikes to three hits through nine innings, though it did not stop them from scoring. The Black Bears' bullpen racked up 10 walks, allowing the Spikes to capitalize on the costly pitches. Jack Maruskin led the Bears with three strikeouts in his single-inning appearance to close out the ninth, and Will Carsten added two Ks to his total through 2.0 innings pitched.

West Virginia returns to Kendrick Family Ballpark on Monday evening to begin a three-game series against the league-leading Trenton Thunder. First pitch for Monday night's contest is set for 6:30 p.m.

- WVBB -

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