Four homers too much for Power in 11-1 loss

CHARLESTON, W. Va. (August 30, 2019) - Bobby Honeyman and Matt Sanders each posted a multi-hit night, but West Virginia was drubbed by the Greensboro Grasshoppers, 11-1, in the series opener Friday evening at Appalachian Power Park.
Greensboro (34-32, 78-57) wasted no time striking against Matt Martin (1-1), as Jonah Davis clubbed the fourth pitch of the game over the right-field fence to give the Grasshoppers a 1-0 lead. That blast was Martin's first run given up with West Virginia, as well as Davis' second leadoff homer hit against the Power (30-36, 67-69).

Martin settled down after that, retiring 10 straight batters from the first frame into the fourth, but struggled with his control with one down in that stanza, as Ji-Hwan Bae worked a walk. Bae quickly swiped second and motored around to score on Fabricio Macias' double into the left-field corner to make it 2-0 Greensboro. The Grasshoppers added three more in third on a solo homer by Grant Koch and a two-run triple from Bae that pushed their lead to 5-0.
Elias Espino took over in the sixth and fired a 1-2-3 sixth, but Greensboro pounced on the West Virginia reliever in the seventh, plating four runs to expand their cushion to 9-0. 
Meanwhile, Noe Toribio (3-2) was excellent for the Grasshoppers, recording five 1-2-3 innings and allowing just one run on three hits, which came via a pair of singles from Honeyman and a base knock by Sanders. The Power plated their lone run in the seventh inning, as Dean Nevarez brought in Sanders from third when he grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.
The Grasshoppers mustered two more runs in the eighth against Reeves Martin, as Koch stroked his third home run in as many at-bats and Jack Herman ripped an RBI double that gave Greensboro an 11-1 advantage. 
Cristofer Melendez twirled the final two innings, striking out five and ceding just two hits to close out the ballgame.
The Power continues their final series of 2019 against the Greensboro Grasshoppers Saturday evening at Appalachian Power Park, with first pitch set for 6:05 p.m. RHP Christian Pedrol makes his Low-A debut for West Virginia, while Greensboro sends righty Will Kobos (1-3, 2.17 ERA) to the hill. Pregame coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. on The Jock 1300 and 1340 AM, online at www.wvpower.com and via the TuneIn Radio App and MiLB First Pitch App. 
Saturday night is Bachelorette Night at Appalachian Power Park, where fans will have the chance to meet former Bachelorette contestant Luke Pell! Pell will host a Meet 'n' Greet for the fans, as well as throw out a ceremonial first pitch. Ticket packages that include access to the Meet 'n' Greet are available now for $30 online only. The package also gets fans a Party Deck ticket, a photo with Pell, a rose and a glass of wine (for those of legal drinking age). Gates open at 4:30 p.m., and all fans can enjoy a pregame concert by Zachary Sovine on the GetGoWV stage and Happy Hour specials at the Budweiser Dugout Bar. Following the final out, Emmalea Deal caps off our Summer Concert Series with a postgame performance on the GetGoWV stage behind the press box. For tickets and more information, call the Power at 304-344-2287 or visit www.wvpower.com.