HAGERSTOWN, MD (June 16, 2019) - The Suns bats went quiet again as they fell to the West Virginia Power 6-1 at Municipal Stadium Sunday.The outcome finished out the four-game sweep for West Virginia (37-33) as the Suns (30-40) end the first half of the season on a five-game losing streak.
HAGERSTOWN, MD (June 16, 2019) - The Suns bats went quiet again as they fell to the West Virginia Power 6-1 at Municipal Stadium Sunday.
The outcome finished out the four-game sweep for West Virginia (37-33) as the Suns (30-40) end the first half of the season on a five-game losing streak. It is the longest losing streak of the season for the Suns, but is the first time they have been swept in a four-game series since West Virginia swept them August 27-30, 2018 by West Virginia at Appalachian Power Park.
Hagerstown mustered only six hits on the day, and the only run came in the sixth inning. After Kyle Marinconz doubled and then Jacob Rhinesmith singled to start the frame against Power reliever Kyle Hill, Gilbert Lara bounced into a double play that brought the run home.
The Suns finally broke through after West Virginia starter Devin Sweet (W, 3-2) left the game. Sweet, in his first professional start, tossed five scoreless innings and allowed only two hits. The five innings gave the righty his longest appearances of his career.
Hagerstown sent Tim Cate (L, 4-5) to the hill in this one, but he didn't get much help from his defense. The Power took a 1-0 lead in the second when David Sheaffer came in to score on a two-out error by the Suns infield. Then a single from Shaeffer in the third inning should have brought home only one run, but the ball got by Ricardo Mendez in left field, and the error allowed a second run to score on the play. Cate's day ended after allowing three runs, but only one earned, and striking out three over three innings.
West Virginia got two more in the fifth against Chandler Day out of the Hagerstown bullpen. An RBI double from Shaeffer followed a sacrifice fly off the bat of Bobby Honeyman to make it a 5-1 game. Shaeffer hit a solo home run in the eighth inning to cap off the Power scoring, and finished the day 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBI.
Jackson Stoeckinger came out of the Suns bullpen in the sixth and ended up having a great day on the hill. The lefty tossed three innings and allowed only one unearned run on one hit while striking out four. Trey Turner then relieved him in the ninth and put up a scoreless frame. Turner has now surrendered only run one over 13.1 innings of work and has struck out 24 batters over that span.
Out of the West Virginia bullpen, Benjamin Onyshko, Steven Moyers, Bryan Pall and Dayeison Arias combined for a scoreless final three innings against the Hagerstown offense. The Power arms held the Suns to only two runs over the final two games of the series.
The Suns get next week off for the All-Star break before returning to action for a seven-game road trip against the Rome Braves and the Hickory Crawdads June 20-26. The Suns then return to Municipal Stadium for a seven game homestand against the Delmarva Shorebirds and Greensboro Grasshoppers that includes plenty of promotions, including Thirsty Thursday, Ghostbusters/80's Night, Sunday Funday, and Salute to America. For tickets or more information visit hagerstownsuns.com or call 301-791-6266.
