Mike Wallace Holds Down RiverDogs as Power Rally to Win, 6-2
For four innings on Tuesday morning, the West Virginia Power and Charleston RiverDogs were locked in a scoreless affair. The RiverDogs would take the lead in the fifth, but reliever Mike Wallace would shut the door, giving his team the opportunity to rally to take the lead on their way to a 6-2 victory. Wallace tossed four shutout innings, and Ty Moore had 3-hits, 2-doubles, and 2-RBI to pace the Power.
Jio Orozco and Oddy Nunez were both pitching brilliantly early on. After retiring the side in order in the top of the first. Nunez allowed two runners in each of the next three innings, but Charleston could not get a runner across the plate. The Power were having no luck against Orozco either, as he allowed just 2-hits and a walk through the first four frames.
In the fifth, the Charleston RiverDogs would finally get on the board. With one down, Diego Castillo singled to center and Ben Ruta followed with a double into left that moved the runner to third. Nunez struck out Estevan Florial, and Wallace came on to relieve. He would retire the final batter of the inning, but not before giving up a single to Angel Aguilar that scored both runners to make it 2-0.
The West Virginia Power responded in the bottom half of the inning. Brent Gibbs started the frame with a single and two batters later Alexis Bastardo walked. A force play gunned Gibbs at third and put Bastardo at second and Adrian Valerio at first. Stephen Alemais drew a two out walk and Moore followed with a ground ball down the right field line that went for a ground rule double to tie the score.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Power would take their first lead of the game. Albert Baur started the inning with a single and, following a pop out, Orozco was replaced by Phillip Diehl. He was greeted by a single by Gibbs, and Clark Eagan followed with a triple to right field to score both runners and give West Virginia the lead. Bastardo followed with a base hit that scored Eagan and it was 5-2.
The Power would add one more run in the eighth. Eagan doubled with one out and scored when Bastardo followed with a single. That made it 6-2.
While the offense was staking him to a lead, Wallace was pitching brilliantly. He retired the RiverDogs in order in the sixth and eighth innings and allowed a lone single in the seventh. In the ninth he got into a little trouble when Blake Rutherford and Donny Sands started the inning with back-to-back singles. He would retire the next two hitters, but West Virginia turned to Dylan Prohoroff to close it out and he would get Castillo out on a ground ball to end the game to earn his second save of the season.
Mike Wallace (1-2) earned the victory, going 4-innings, allowing 4-hits and no runs while striking out one. Ty Moore finished 3-4 with 2-doubles and 2-RBI, and Clark Eagan was 2-4 with 2-runs scored and 2-RBI. Albert Baur, Brent Gibbs, and Alexis Bastardo each had 2-hits as well. Donny Sands led the Charleston offense, going 3-4. Angel Aguilar had both RBI.
The Charleston RiverDogs are off tomorrow before welcoming the Augusta GreenJackets to town on Thursday.
By Robert Pannier
