Suns suffer lopsided loss to Power in series finale
HAGERSTOWN, MD - The Hagerstown Suns (14-18, 49-51) went down big early on Tuesday afternoon and could never recover, dropping their season-series finale against the West Virginia Power (22-10, 59-42) by a final of 13-3. With the win West Virginia takes the season series 9-8. It is the first season series win for the Power over the Suns since West Virginia has been affiliated with the Pirates.
Tuesday's game was tied at 2-2 entering the third, and that's when the floodgates opened. In the top of the third West Virginia sent eight hitters to the plate, collecting five runs on four hits, a walk, and an error. The biggest hits of the inning were an RBI triple by LF Elvis Escobar, and a two-run homerun by 1B Chase Simpson. It was Simpson's eighth homerun of the season, bringing him one shy of the team lead.
While the five-run third opened up a big advantage for the Power, the four run fourth essentially put the game away. In the fourth inning West Virginia sent seven men to the plate and came up with three hits. After catcher Francisco Diaz reached on an error to begin the inning, SS Tyler Filliben smacked a double to center field to put two in scoring position. Designated hitter Cole Tucker then knocked Diaz in from third with a single up the middle, and both Filliben and Tucker were brought home on a double to left by CF Tito Polo making it 10-2. Polo scored the final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by RF Michael Suchy.
Hagerstown actually took the initial lead in the game in the bottom of the first. With a runner on first and two outs catcher Raudy Read stoked a two-run homerun well over the left field wall for his fourth homerun of the season and his second in as many games. Read finished the day with his first three-hit game of the season.
West Virginia tied the game at 2-2 with a two run frame in the top of the second. Suchy led off with a triple, his fourth of the season. Three batters later 2B Trace Tam Sing hit a ground ball single up the middle to make it 2-1. Tam Sing then scored on a double to right by Diaz to even the score.
The Power plated their final two runs in the sixth, while Hagerstown scored its final run in the fifth on an RBI double by 3B David Masters. West Virginia wound up out-hitting the Suns 14-8, while Hagerstown committed both errors in the ball game.
Starting RHP Austin Coley (12-5) earned the win for the Power. It is his league-leading 12th victory of the season, which ties a single-season franchise record for West Virginia set back in 2008. Coley threw five innings, surrendering three earned runs on three hits and one walk while striking out one. Starting RHP Mario Sanchez (5-5) got tagged with the loss for Hagerstown. In three innings of work he gave up seven earned runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out one.
After a day off tomorrow, the Suns next head to Hickory, North Carolina to begin a four-game series against the Hickory Crawdads (17-14, 61-38) on Thursday, July 30. The Suns will send LHP Connor Bach (3-2) to the mound for his 13th start and 19th appearance this season. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00pm.