Six-run inning makes it five straight for Black Bears

Jun. 22—GRANVILLE — The Black Bears are officially out of hibernation.

The West Virginia Black Bears might have stumbled out of the gates into the 2022 MLB Draft League season — starting their season 2-10 — but with their latest 11-4 victory over the Williamsport Crosscutters, the Bears are now victors of their last five contests.

West Virginia busted open a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning, piling on six runs in the frame, punctuated by a bases-clearing inside-the-park home run from Sam Crail. Both teams had gotten a runner across the plate in the first inning, but the scoreboard hadn't changed in the 2.5 innings that followed.

A swinging bunt from Blaze Brothers started the inning off — hardly the explosive start one might expect from a six-run frame — but the hit had some backspin, and rolled away from the pursuing pitcher. Brothers beat out the throw, but the ball sailed over the first baseman's head regardless, and Brothers made it to second.

A single to center by Ryan Hernandez moved Brothers to third, and yet another base hit from Hunter May scored Brothers and put the Bears ahead 2-1.

Oklahoma State's Caeden Trenkle smoked a hit to right field, a hit that was perhaps too well-struck, as it got to the fielder so quickly Hernandez could not score from second, instead leaving the bases loaded, still with no outs.

Ben Greer drew a full-count walk on a high fastball, walking in Hernandez and extending West Virginia's lead. A ground ball to third base from Daunte Stuart finally got the Crosscutters an out, but at the cost of another run crossing the plate.

Then Crail came to the plate. With a 1-1 count, Crail pounded a ball over the third baseman's head, into left field. Williamsport's left fielder let the ball go by him, and it rolled all the way to the wall. The fielder had yet more trouble gathering the ball — and Crail wasn't hesitating the entire way around the base paths.

The outfielder from St. Leo barely beat the throw to home, and energized all of Monongalia County Ballpark with an inside-the-park home run that put the Bears up 7-1.

Crail finished the day 2-4 with two runs and four RBIs via a home run and a double.

That ended Williamsport's Antonio Escano's day on the mound, and JJ Sanchez came in relief. Escano ended up taking the loss Tuesday.

Sanchez stopped any more damage, walking a batter before getting out of the inning with a strike em' out-throw em' out double play.

The Cutters put a dent into the lead in the top of the fifth, with Isaac Nunez scoring on a passed ball, but Ryan Hernandez responded in the bottom of the inning with a two-run shot over the right field fence that squelched any hopes of a comeback.

Hernandez finished 3-4 with two runs and two RBIs.

The two teams traded pairs of runs in the sixth, much like they traded runs in the first, but the deficit remained at seven runs by game's end.

Only two of Williamsport's four runs were earned, as the Black Bears staff pitched well on Tuesday. Turner Spoljaric started the game for the Bears and pitched three innings, tagged with one earned run on three hits, striking out three and walking none.

Texas Tech's Austin Becker earned the win, pitching the next two innings, and making his presence known as soon as he came in, striking out two batters in the fourth, and inducing a broken bat — not by way of an inside pitch, but a broken bat over the knee of a batter, frustrated he'd swung and missed on a two-strike sinker to end the inning.

Becker ended up with one earned run to his name, as well as two strike outs and three walks along with the win.

Brett Hansen and Will Schomberg each took a turn on the mound for the sixth and seventh, respectively, with Hansen taking the most amount of damage among Black Bears' pitchers, with two earned runs to his name in the sixth. Schomberg closed out the game with a scoreless seventh.

Shortstop Sam Antonacci ended the game in style, robbing Williamsport of a hit and a run in the seventh. The first defensive highlight of his night came on a sliding stop of a hard-hit groundball to short, as he completed the acrobatic play with a twirling throw to first for a bang-bang out.

His next play was even greater than his first. With two outs and Williamsport's Sabin Ceballos on second, Lance Logsdon sent a bloop single to center. Antonacci was shaded to the middle of the field, and dove to catch the blooper on one hop, sprang to his feet, and gunned down Ceballos at the plate to end the game.

Antonacci finished 0-2 at the plate, but with two walks, two stolen bases, and a run scored.

The Black Bears go for their second straight series sweep on Wednesday at Monongalia County Ballpark.

Reach Nick Henthorn at 304-367-2548, on Twitter @nfhenthorn_135 or by email at nhenthorn@timeswv.com.