Power surge lifts West Virginia over Suns in series finale

CHARLESTON, W.V. - The Hagerstown Suns (10-8) entered Sunday's game against the West Virginia Power (8-10) having scored 27 runs over their previous two games, but on Sunday the tables turned and the Power surged past the Suns to claim an 11-2 win. The win meant that West Virginia wound up with a 2-2 split of its four game series against Hagerstown.

 

It was a five-run sixth inning that blew the game open for the Power. West Virginia sent 11 batters to the plate in the frame, and collected five hits and three walks. The only non-single of the inning was a two-run double off the bat of CF Barret Barnes. That double was the end of the line for RHP Brian Rauh of the Suns, who was charged for all five earned runs in the frame.

 

The Power took an initial 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third. First baseman Walker Gourley led off with a ground ball single up the middle. Gourley stole second, and advanced to third on a throwing error by Suns catcher Erick Fernandez. Following a walk to SS Max Moroff, 2B Ashley Ponce drove Gourley home with a single to center field. Moroff scored from second when RF Josh Bell singled to right, which pushed Ponce to third. Ponce scored the final run of the frame on a sacrifice fly by 3B Eric Wood.

 

Hagerstown responded right away with its only two runs coming in the top of the fourth. Both runs came from one swing of the bat from CF Wander Ramos, who hit a homerun to right field. It was Ramos' second long ball of the season and brought the Suns within one, 3-2.

 

West Virginia got those two runs back in the fifth. Bell hit a solo homerun to right to begin the inning. After the next batter, DH Stetson Allie, walked, Wood hit a double to center field to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Left fielder Raul Fortunato wound up driving Allie home when he grounded into a double play. The final Power run crossed the plate in the eighth thanks to a wild pitch on the third strike of a strike out that Fernandez was unable to recover.

 

RHP Brian Dupra (1-1) was charged with the loss for Hagerstown in his first start of the season. He threw four innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits, walking four and striking out two. LHP Orlando Castro (2-1) picked up the win for the Power. He went five innings, surrendering two earned runs on six hits, walking one and striking out three. Three West Virginia relievers combined to keep the Suns hitless over the final four innings.

 

After a day off on Monday, the Suns next head home to take on the Augusta GreenJackets (11-6) in a three game series beginning Tuesday April 23. Hagerstown will send RHP Ivan Pineyro (0-1) to the mound for his fourth start of the season. He will square off against RHP Jose Reyes (1-1) for the GreenJackets. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35pm.