Four-run eighth lifts West Virginia to wild 9-7 win

GREENSBORO, N.C. (July 12, 2019) - West Virginia tallied six runs between the seventh and eighth innings and held off Greensboro late to take the series opener, 9-7, over the Grasshoppers Friday night at First National Bank Field.
Greensboro (12-9, 56-34) got on the board early in the bottom of the first thanks to three hits off Devin Sweet that gave the Grasshoppers a 1-0 lead. In the top of the second, Jake Anchia worked a one-out walk and Onil Pena doubled a batter later to put two runners in scoring position. Nick Rodriguez then delivered with an RBI groundout and Mike Salvatore stroked a run-scoring double that thrust West Virginia (10-12, 47-45) ahead 2-1.

Sweet returned the favor, as he twirled a scoreless second and third inning to hold the one-run lead into the fourth. Greensboro did break through in that frame on a solo homer from Luke Mangieri to tie the game and plated a run later in the stanza to take a 3-2 lead. 
After a couple scoreless frames from Osvaldo Bido, West Virginia knotted the game at three in the sixth on an Anchia sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the inning, Greensboro responded with a pair of runs coming from a Justin Harrer double down the right-field line and a Kyle Mottice seeing-eye single that pushed the Grasshoppers lead to 5-3.
The Power again had an answer, as Julio Rodriguez plated two in the seventh inning on a single to right-center field that tied the game at five. Elias Espino (2-1) entered in the home half of the seventh and hurled a shutdown inning to keep the game tied.
The Power exploded in the top of the eighth in a rally that began with a ground-rule double down the left-field line by David Sheaffer and back-to-back walks issued by Cristofer Melendez (2-1) that loaded the bases for Nick Rodriguez. Rodriguez grounded a high chopper in the infield that tallied a run, and both Salvatore and Ryan Ramiz followed suit with two consecutive singles that opened up the Power lead to 8-5. Julio then drove in his third run of the ballgame with a sacrifice fly a batter later to extend the West Virginia edge to 9-5.
Espino returned to the bump in the bottom of the eighth and immediately struggled, surrendering a solo roundtripper to Jack Herman, a walk to Zack Kone and a double to Harrer that put two runners in scoring position. Bryan Pall (S,6) relieved Espino and walked the first batter he faced to load the bases with no one out. A wild pitch allowed a runner to score from third to bring Greensboro back within two runs. With the infield in, Pall forced a groundball that Bobby Honeyman fired to the plate to nail the lead runner for the first out of the frame. Pall then walked Connor Kaiser to load the bases again, but fired back with two straight strikeouts to end the inning and hold a 9-7 Power lead into the ninth.
West Virginia was held scoreless in the top of the inning, but Pall shut the door on the Grasshoppers despite a two-out base hit to secure his sixth save in as many opportunities.
The Power continues their three-game series against the Greensboro Grasshoppers Saturday night at First National Bank Field, with first pitch set for 7:00 p.m. LHP Steven Moyers (7-4, 3.79 ERA) heads to the hill for West Virginia, while Greensboro counters with RHP Steven Jennings (5-7, 4.87 ERA). Pregame coverage begins at 6:40 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 returns home to start a seven-game homestand on Monday, July 15, beginning with a three game set against the Columbia Fireflies. The highlight of the homestand comes on Friday, July 19, with Faith and Family Night, presented by Mako Medical Laboratories and NewLife 94.5! Come experience a night of music, faith and baseball at the ballpark! Enjoy pregame concerts by Kyle Huffman, the winner of the NewLife 94.5 Power Factor competition, and Todd Agnew, as well as postgame fireworks, courtesy of TC Energy and Suddenlink! For tickets and more information, call the Power at 304-344-2287 or visit www.wvpower.com.