Four-run sixth lifts West Virginia to 8-5 comeback win

CHARLESTON, W. Va. (August 2, 2019) - West Virginia scored four runs in the sixth and three runs in the eighth to lift the Power to an 8-5 comeback win over the Greensboro Grasshoppers Friday night at Appalachian Power Park.
Greensboro (21-19, 65-44) started the scoring in the first inning, as the first four batters of the game reached safely against Ryne Inman, and a two-run single off the bat of Fabricio Macias put the Grasshoppers ahead 2-0. West Virginia retaliated in the second, as Austin Shenton drilled a 406-foot solo homer that brought the Power (19-22, 56-55) back within one.

The 'Hoppers struck again in the third with three runs on five base hits to extend the Greensboro lead to 5-1. Inman's outing came to a close after four innings, ceding way to Elias Espino, who tossed two scoreless innings out of the Power bullpen. 
West Virginia started to rally in the sixth, as Ryan Ramiz doubled to lead off the frame and scored a couple batters later on an opposite-field RBI single for Julio Rodriguez that cut the Grasshoppers' lead to three. The next batter, Bobby Honeyman, followed with a single to center that plated Matt Sanders from second and put runners at first and second with no one out for Shenton. The Power slugger missed his second homer of the day by a matter of inches, but drove in another run with a double off the wall in right that brought West Virginia within a run. Jake Anchia then converted with a sacrifice fly that brought in Honeyman from third and tied the game at five.
Bryan Pall came on in the seventh and ultimately found himself in a bases loaded one-out jam, but wiggled out of it with a strikeout of Zac Susi and a fly out by Victor Ngoepe to cap a scoreless frame. Reeves Martin (2-0) took over in the eighth and twirled a scoreless inning of his own to keep the game knotted at five.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Power jumped in front, as Alfredo Reyes (0-1) hit Sanders with a pitch to begin the inning, and Julio slammed an opposite-field RBI triple that scored Sanders from first to make it 6-5. West Virginia added two more runs in the frame on a sacrifice fly from Shenton and a Nick Rodriguez RBI double that tallied the seventh unanswered run for the Power. Martin closed things out in the ninth with a three-up, three-down stanza that solidified the 8-5 win for West Virginia.
The Power now begins a four-game series with the Rome Braves Saturday evening at Appalachian Power Park, with first pitch set for 6:05 p.m. RHP Devin Sweet (5-4, 3.04 ERA) gets the ball for West Virginia, while Greensboro sends RHP Odalvi Javier (3-7, 3.56 ERA) to the bump. Pregame coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. on The Jock 1300 and 1340 AM, as well as online at wvpower.com and via the TuneIn Radio App and MiLB First Pitch App.
West Virginia continues their homestand with Back to School Night on Saturday, August 3, and African American Heritage Night on Monday, August 5. Tomorrow, the first 1,000 fans can receive a limited edition backpack giveaway as a part of Back to School Night, presented by Todd Judy Ford. Gates will open at 4:30 p.m., and all fans can enjoy a pregame concert by The Supertones on GetGoWV stage, as well as Happy Hour specials at the Budweiser Dugout Bar! For tickets and more information, call the Power at 304-344-2287 or visit www.wvpower.com.