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SAL1 Charleston Dirty Birds

West Virginia Power: Game Notes (May 12)

May 12, 2018 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston Dirty Birds News Release


West Virginia continues its road swing with the first of a four-game series against the Lakewood BlueClaws, with first pitch set for 4:05 p.m. RHP Gavin Wallace (2-0, 4.56 ERA) is on the mound.

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WEST VIRGINIA BLANKS HAGERSTOWN ON FRIDAY: Sergio Cubilete, Ike Schlabach and Blake Weiman combined to scatter seven Hagerstown hits on Friday evening at Historic Municipal Stadium as the Power claimed a 2-0 victory in the series finale to finish off a three-game sweep of the Suns and claim their fifth straight win. Cubilete, in his first start since April 17, was stellar through five innings, allowing just one hit and three total baserunners while striking out three. Schlabach battled through a pair of jams in the sixth and seventh frames to earn his second win of the season, while Weiman secured his third save in four opportunities with a scoreless eighth and ninth inning. West Virginia was held scoreless through six innings against Suns starter Nick Raquet, but the Power broke through in the seventh as Calvin Mitchell, Dylan Busby and Rodolfo Castro strung together three consecutive hits to give West Virginia a 1-0 lead. The Power tacked on an insurance run in the eighth as a wild pitch from Hagerstown reliever Jared Brasher plated Ryan Peurifoy, who roped a double into the left-field corner to lead off the inning.

GOING STREAKING: West Virginia has now won a team-best five games in a row, dating back to their doubleheader sweep over Hickory on Monday. During this five game stretch, the Power have not allowed their opponents to score more than three runs in any contest, while their five-game winning streak is currently the longest active streak in the South Atlantic League. During this five-game winning streak, West Virginia is averaging .256 (43-for-168) with five home runs and 29 runs scored, while the pitching staff is boasting a 1.67 ERA (8 ER/43 IP) with 33 strikeouts. The Power have lowered their season ERA from 3.61 to 3.32 over this span, a mark that sits sixth-best in the SAL. West Virginia's longest winning streak in 2017 was eight games from August 3-9.

BREAK OUT THE BROOMS: The Power completed their first sweep of 2018 with their 2-0 blanking of Hagerstown on Friday. West Virginia finished off its first three-game series sweep of Hagerstown in the Power era (2005-present). The Power technically last swept Hagerstown from July 30-August 1, 2009, when West Virginia claimed a rain-shortened two-game set in Hagerstown after the final two games were cancelled due to wet grounds. The Power have never broomed the Suns in a series lasting four games or more.

HANGING ZEROS: West Virginia's three-pitcher shutout on Friday was the third shutout the Power have tossed in 2018, as Travis MacGregor, Schlabach and Adam Oller combined to blank Asheville, 3-0, on April 19 in Charleston, and Braeden Ogle, Beau Sulser, Drew Fischer and Weiman shut out Lexington on April 27. West Virginia is one of seven teams in the South Atlantic League with at least three shutout victories this season.

CRUZIN FOR A BRUISIN: Cruz has started to find a more consistent stroke in the Power lineup of late. The former Dodger is riding a 12-game hitting streak and a 14-game on-base streak, with the latter dating back to April 25 in game two of a doubleheader against Rome. Following game one, Cruz's average sat at .197, but he has boosted that mark to .265 with this 12-game stride where he is averaging .340 (17-for-50) with a home run and seven RBI. Cruz has the longest active hitting streak on the team, and the second-longest of the year (Mitchell, 13). The Dominican native also holds the longest active hitting streak in the SAL, as Shael Mendoza's 17-gamer ended on May 10.

DEON AT THE DISH: Deon Stafford has reached base safely in his last 11 games, dating back to the Power's doubleheader on April 25 against Rome. Over that stretch, Stafford is hitting .267 (12-for-45) with two homers, seven RBI and eight runs scored. The backstop's .298 average is second-highest on the team, while his .806 OPS is fourth-best.

POWER POINTS: The bullpen has allowed just eight earned runs over their last 55.2 innings (1.29 ERA), while striking out 56 batters... The Power went 2-for-5 with runners in scoring position last night... Castro has reached base safely in his last 11 games... West Virginia won for the first time after being tied through six (1-3)... The Power are 4-4 against left-handed starters... West Virginia claimed their first victory when scoring two runs or less in the contest (1-8)... The Power have won all five games that Saturday starter Gavin Wallace has started... West Virginia has won seven of its last eight series... Cubilete spun a season-high five innings on Friday and held a team to one hit over a five-inning start for the third time in his career... Lakewood claimed two of three from West Virginia from April 10-11 at Appalachian Power Park... The Power close out the first half with 21 of their final 35 games on the road.

ON THE AIR: West Virginia Power games can be heard on The Jock 1300 & 1340 AM in the Kanawha Valley, online at wvpower.com and on the TuneIn Radio App. David Kahn and John Kocsis will handle play-by-play duties in 2018.

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