Clawing Back: Power rally for walk-off win

(Charleston, WV- August 27, 2016)- The West Virginia Power won a walk-off 5-4 over the Lakewood BlueClaws Saturday night at Appalachian Power Park. Daniel Arribas singled in the game-winning run in the bottom of the tenth inning after the Power trailed 4-0 heading into the eighth.

Starters Bret Helton and Franklyn Kilome traded three scoreless frames before the 'Claws struck for three in the third. Following a wild pitch that allowed the first run to score, Emmanuel Marrero laid down a safety squeeze to sacrifice home Jan Hernandez. Mark Laird added an RBI single to cap the scoring in the frame. Hernandez plated what would end up being the the final 'Claws run of the game when he hit a solo home run to begin the fifth to expand the lead to 4-0.

Helton lasted five innings and allowed four runs on eight hits, while striking out six and walking one.

Kilome worked seven shutout innings, limiting the Power to five hits over that span.

Down 4-0 in the eighth, West Virginia mounted their comeback. Casey Hughston got the Power on the board with a two-run home run deep over the right field wall, his eleventh of the season, bringing the club within two of the Lakewood advantage. Later in the inning, with Mitchell Tolman at second base after reaching on a single, Carlos Munoz knocked an RBI base hit to right to pull the club within a run.

West Virginia completed the comeback in the bottom of the ninth. Stephen Alemais led off the inning with a triple into the right field corner. One batter later, John Bormann hit a sacrifice fly to center to drive home Alemais and tie the game at 4-4, pinning Lakewood closer Sutter McCloughlin with his first blown save of the season.

That sent the game into the tenth, where the Power were able to plate the game-winning run. Munoz led off the frame with a double, and was pinch run for by Tyler Filliben. That set the table for Arribas, who lined the first pitch from McCloughlin into center field for a base hit, scoring Filliben and giving West Virginia the walk-off win.

Julio Vivas (3-0) struck out four in three scoreless inning of relief to pick up the win, while McCloughlin (1-3) was tagged with the blown save and the loss, surrendering two runs and five hits over two innings.

Munoz paced the Power offense by collecting his second four hit game of the season while finishing a home run shy of the cycle. It was just the second win of the season for the club when trailing after eight innings. 

West Virginia looks to capture the series in the rubber match Sunday afternoon. Gage Hinsz will start for West Virginia against Lakewood starter Jose Taveras. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 P.M. at Appalachian Power Park.