RiverDogs Have No Answers for Luis Escobar as Power Win 4-2
A night after watching Charleston RiverDogs starter Jio Orozco and the team’s bullpen short-circuit the Power offense, West Virginia got some outstanding starting pitching of their own out of Luis Escobar who led his team to a 4-2 victory. Escobar allowed a lone unearned run in 6-innings of work, and the top of the order for the Power were a combined 9-13 with all four runs driven in to lead the way.
The RiverDogs would give Brian Keller the early lead when they scored a run in the bottom of the second. Brandon Wagner got it started when he singled to center field and moved to second on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Oswaldo Cabrera lined a base hit into left field that scored Wagner and it was 1-0.
The lead would not last long, as West Virginia tied the score in the top half of the third. Keller retired the first two batters of the inning, but the third out proved to be elusive. Adrian Valerio kept the inning alive with a base hit and then stole second. Clark Eagan was hit by a pitch and a base hit by Albert Baur, who had 4-hits in the game, brought him home.
In the fifth, the West Virginia Power took the lead. With one down, Sandy Santos walked. Ty Moore and Adrian Valerio followed with back-to-back singles, with Valerio’s hit driving home Santos. A single by Eagan scored Moore and it was 3-1.
The RiverDogs cut that deficit to just one in the bottom of the eighth. Estevan Florial led off the frame by drilling a shot over the right field fence for his sixth homer of the season.
The Power responded right away in the top of the ninth to put their lead back at two. Santos doubled with one out and scored when Valerio delivered a two-out hit to make it 4-2.
In the ninth, West Virginia sent Geoff Hartlieb to the mound to close it out. He was greeted by a base hit by Wagner, but then induced a double-play before getting a ground out for his fourth save of the season.
Luis Escobar (5-2) had been brilliant on the evening. He pitched 6-innings, allowed 3-hits and 2-walks. The only run that scored against him was unearned and he struck out 5.
The top of the order for West Virginia was unbelievable. Adrian Valerio was 3-5 with a run scored and 2-RBI. Clark Eagan finished the evening 2-4 with an RBI, and Albert Baur had a perfect night at the plate, going 4-4 with an RBI. Both Estevan and Brandon Wagner were 2-3 with a run scored. Florial also had an RBI.
These two teams have a late morning affair tomorrow. James Marvel (2-3, 3.89) starts for the West Virginia Power. The Charleston RiverDogs send Nick Nelson (0-4, 5.70) to the hill looking for his first win of the season. First pitch is 11:05.
By Robert Pannier
