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SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

West Virginia Power: Game Notes (June 17)

June 17, 2018 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


West Virginia concludes the first half with the series finale against the Delmarva Shorebirds this afternoon at 2:05 p.m. from Appalachian Power Park. RHP Gavin Wallace (5-0, 3.49 ERA) takes the mound and below.

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CRUZ'S BIG DAY HEADLINES 10-8 WIN: Oneil Cruz went 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored as the Power claimed a wild, back-and-forth affair against the Delmarva Shorebirds, 10-8, Saturday evening at Appalachian Power Park for their sixth win in a row. After the Shorebirds took an early 2-0 lead, West Virginia responded with three in the third on an RBI single from Kyle Watson, a run-scoring triple from Cruz and a sacrifice fly by Calvin Mitchell. Delmarva retook the lead after posting a four-spot in the fourth, but the Power stormed back with three in the home half of the inning on Brett Pope's second home run of the season and Cruz's second consecutive RBI triple that tied the game at six. Once again trailing in the bottom of the sixth, West Virginia tacked on four runs courtesy of Watson's RBI double, a base knock from Cruz that plated Watson and Rodolfo Castro's seventh home run of the year that put the Power ahead for good. Ike Schlabach earned the win after spinning 2.2 innings in relief of Domingo Robles, while Samuel Reyes continued his lights-out work with West Virginia, allowing just two hits over the final three innings to record his second save in as many opportunities.

CRUZ GOES OFF: Cruz's 4-for-5 day was the second four-hit game for the Pirates' 13th-best prospect (MLB.com)

Scooting around the bases became a regularity for Cruz, as the Power infielder legged out two triples, giving his legs a rev

as they pushed him to nine total bases with a double and single to his credit as well. Cruz's two triples helped him jump

Logan Hill in the Power record books, as Cruz became the first West Virginia slugger to record two three-baggers

in a game since Hill did it on July 22, 2016. The Dominican native's triples were back-to-back run-scorers for the

2018 Power shortstop, something no West Virginia batter had done since Chris Lashmet on May 30, 2012, vs. Lakewood.

STREAKING: Cruz and Chris Sharpe each extended their hitting streaks with their multi-hit and multi-RBI efforts. Cruz is riding an eight-game hitting streak since June 8, during which he is averaging .389 (14-for-36) with six RBI. This eight-game stretch is Cruz's third hitting streak of six games or more. Meanwhile, Sharpe has put together a seven-game streak with a .435 (10-for-23) clip, his second hitting streak of six games or more this season.

MULTI-HIT MADNESS: John Bormann, Cruz, Sharpe and Watson all recorded multi-hit efforts Saturday, with Cruz collecting the Power's sixth four-hit game of the season, and first since Sharpe accomplished the feat May 12 at Lakewood. Cruz leads the team in multi-hit games with 20, while Sharpe has 11, Watson has seven and Bormann has two.

HOLY HOMERS: Castro and Pope's homers bumped the team's total to 52 in 2018, fifth-most in the South Atlantic League (Augusta and Hickory, 56; Lexington, 70; Asheville, 71). The Power second baseman hit his second long ball in his last three games (June 14 at Augusta), while Pope cranked the second home run of his career in the fourth. Every active West Virginia batter has at least one home run this year except for Bormann and Jesse Medrano.

ROLLING REYES: Reyes has become a lockdown member of West Virginia's bullpen since joining the team June 6. He has not allowed a run through six innings pitched over three appearances, while surrendering just three hits, striking out five and picking up a win and two saves.

THE W STANDS FOR WINS: Sunday starter Gavin Wallace earned his fifth win of the season in his last start on June 12 with a six-inning, four-run performance against the Augusta GreenJackets. The Madison, New Jersey, native has won his last eight decisions, dating back to August 6, 2017. Since his last losing decision on July 16, 2017, Wallace has allowed more than three earned runs just twice in his 20 starts (21 appearances), and has worked five innings or more in all but four of those outings (two affected by rain in 2018, one was a relief appearance with the Black Bears). The 22-year-old also struck out a career-best eight batters last Tuesday.

FINISHING STRONG: The Power have clinched a winning first half record for the third time in the last four years, and seventh time in the Power era (2005-present). With a win in the series finale Sunday, West Virginia would secure a winning record at home, on the road and in their division all in the first half for the first time since 2007, when the team went 48-20 in the first half and made it to the South Atlantic League championship series against Columbia.

POWER POINTS: West Virginia is 13-0 when scoring seven or more runs in 2018... The Power are 21-14 in games decided by two runs or less... West Virginia went 4-for-10 with RISP, leaving three men on base... The Power's 14 hits were one shy of their season high... Sharpe swiped his 10th stolen base, second on the team to Lolo Sanchez (12).

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