Power drubs Hickory behind Cruz's three RBI

HICKORY, N.C. (June 21, 2018) - Six Power batters registered multi-hit games as West Virginia soared past the Hickory Crawdads, 8-1, to Thursday evening at L.P. Frans Stadium.
Oneil Cruz, Deon Stafford, Ben Bengtson, Chris Sharpe, Brett Pope and Lolo Sanchez were the six West Virginia sluggers to record multiple hits in the contest. Those six batters finished a combined 14-for-28 (.500) with six runs scored and six RBI.

West Virginia (1-0, 38-29) jumped on Crawdads starter Noah Bremer (1-2) from the word go, as Cruz clubbed a lead-off home run over the left-center field fence on the fifth pitch he saw from Bremer, giving the Power a 1-0 lead and their first leadoff homer since Adrian Valerio hit one on August 25 against Hagerstown last year. 
In the second, West Virginia tacked on three more runs, all with two outs. Sharpe and Kyle Watson started the rally with a pair of singles. The next batter, Sanchez, drilled an RBI double to score Sharpe and extend the Power's lead to 2-0. Cruz was then able to leg out an infield single to second base that Kole Enright was late getting to, allowing Watson and Sanchez to cross the plate and push the lead to 4-0.
The scoring continued in the third, as Stafford stroked a one-out double past the third baseman and advanced to third on a ground out from Bengtson before scoring on a throwing error from Hickory (0-1, 30-39) first baseman Tyreque Reed. 
The final two runs of the evening for West Virginia came in the seventh when Pope doubled in Stafford and Bengtson scored on a wild pitch.
Hickory's lone run came in the home half of the seventh when Austin O'Banion singled and later scored on a two-out single from Yonny Hernandez.
Power starter Max Kranick's night finished after a one hour and seven minute rain delay. He completed four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and walking a pair. After the delay, Sergio Cubilete (2-3) came in and provided three innings of relief to earn the victory, ceding one run on four hits.
Beau Sulser worked a 1-2-3 eighth, capped with a strikeout of Pedro Gonzalez, while Joel Cesar finished the game with a scoreless ninth.
The Power continues their three-game series against the Hickory Crawdads Friday evening, with first pitch set for 7 p.m. from L.P. Frans Stadium. West Virginia will send southpaw Domingo Robles (4-4, 3.29 ERA) to the hill, while the Crawdads counter with righty Reid Anderson (2-4, 3.66 ERA). Pregame coverage begins at 6:40 p.m. on The Jock 1300 and 1340 AM, as well as online at www.wvpower.com and via the TuneIn Radio App and MiLB First Pitch App. 
Following this three-game road set, West Virginia will return to Appalachian Power Park June 24 for a Kidz Sunday Funday against the Lakewood BlueClaws. First pitch is at 4:05 p.m. That will start a six-game homestand with a pair of three-game series against Lakewood and Hickory. During the homestand, the Power will have a Two for Tuesday and Thirsty Thursday, sponsored by Rock 105, a Pets in the Park night and postgame fireworks Friday, brought to you by MVB Bank and Electric 102.7. For tickets and more information, call the Power at 304-344-2287 or visit wvpower.com.