SAL1 Charleston RiverDogs

West Virginia Powers by RiverDogs, 6-4

Published on July 26, 2011 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release


CHARLESTON, S.C. - Cole White homered and knocked a pair of doubles to lead West Virginia to a 6-4 over the Charleston RiverDogs in South Atlantic League action Tuesday afternoon in front of a crowd of 5,384 fans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

With the victory, West Virginia improves to 12-20 this half and 47-53 overall, while Charleston drops to 15-17 this half and 41-61 overall.

Following a two-hour, 11-minute rain delay, West Virginia struck for a 1-0 lead with two outs in the second inning against Charleston starter Zach Nuding. White, who played collegiately at the U.S. Military Academy, launched a 1-0 offering over the left-field scoreboard pacing the Power to a 1-0 lead.

West Virginia padded the cushion with two tallies in the fourth for a 3-0 advantage. The first three batters of the inning all reached, and Dan Grovatt followed with a bases-loaded free pass from Nuding, upping the edge to 2-0. White bounced into a 6-4-3 double play that scored another run and a 3-0 score.

Nuding settled down to work 5.0 solid frames, giving up three runs on only three hits. The Texan righty recorded two strikeouts but struggled with his command issuing five walks, his most since May 18.

Charleston finally got going in the bottom half against Power right-hander Jameson Taillon, notching a pair of two-out runs in trimming the deficit to 3-2. Kevin Mahoney drilled a two-out double off the left-field scoreboard, while Gary Sanchez crushed a two-run home run off the centerfield batter's eye for his 10th circuit clout of the season.

Taillon, the top prospect in the Pirates organization, was sharp in 4.0 innings of work, allowing four hits and the two runs. The 6'6" right-hander flashed a powerful fastball and excellent curveball in fanning a career-best seven RiverDogs.

The Dogs barked back in the bottom of the fifth posting two runs for the second straight frame. Jose Toussen legged out a one-out bunt single and moved to third on Eduardo Sosa's opposite-field single to left. Power reliever Kevin Decker (3-4), a former College of Charleston standout, uncorked a wild pitch with Anderson Feliz batting to score Toussen and tie the game at 3-3. Feliz then chipped in with an opposite-field RBI double barely past the glove of third baseman Chase Lyles, putting the RiverDogs ahead at 4-3.

That lead diminished in the top of the seventh, as West Virginia scored three times and snatched a 6-4 lead. White ripped a RBI double off reliever RiverDogs' Manny Barreda (4-2) that clanged off the base of the left-field wall to knot the affair at 4-4, and then scored on Drew Maggi's bloop RBI single to right field two batters later to give the Power a 5-4 lead. Maggi stole second, moved to third on a groundout and came plateward on a wild pitch.

Aaron Dott and Mark Montgomery combined to pen a pair of scoreless stanzas out of the Charleston bullpen, but the RiverDogs offense was blanked after the two-run fifth inning. Power relievers Victor Black and Jason Townsend gave up three Charleston hits in 3.0 combined innings, with Townsend fanning a pair in the ninth to earn his ninth save of the campaign.

Toussen led Charleston's 10-hit attack with his seventh three-hit game of the year, while Mahoney and Ramon Flores each added a pair.

BALLPARK FUN: Fans were able to skip out of the office and head to The Joe to watch the RiverDogs take on the Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate in a matinee affair. The rain did not put a damper on things, as everyone was able to get wet and cool off from the hot weather on the annual Big Splash Day. It was also another KRAFT Singles Tuesday Night Tickets: Buy one ticket, get one free from KRAFT Singles. Bring a package wrapper to Riley Park on Tuesdays for a steal of a deal, so visit kraftsingles.com for more information as exclusions apply.

UP NEXT: The RiverDogs enjoy an off-day before embarking on an eight-game road trip on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. versus the Greenville Drive. Right-hander Scottie Allen (4-1, 5.29 ERA) is slated to toe the slab for Charleston, versus right-hander Miguel Celestino (8-4, 3.78 ERA) of Greenville.

Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame Night headlines another Force Protection Industries, Inc. Red Shirt Friday, as the RiverDogs return home to face the Savannah Sand Gnats on August 5 at 7:05 p.m. Roberto Alomar, William Ackerman, and Mike Kimbrell will be enshrined into the latest class prior to first pitch. Piggly Wiggly Postgame Fireworks will illuminate the night sky over the Ashley River postgame, as Charleston's favorite professional sports team gives the Lowcountry faithful plenty of ways to "Be Your Own Fan."

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 26, 2011


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