Black Bears defeat Scrappers, clinch home field for MLB Draft League Championship

MORGANTOWN, W.Va (WDTV) - The West Virginia Black Bears have officially clinched home field for the MLB Draft League Championship game following a 9-4 win over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.

To get things going, Zach Storbakken recorded an RBI single, giving the Scrappers an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. It was his 10th RBI of the season, making him one of four Scrappers players with double digit RBI.

As for West Virginia, The Black Bears started off hot in the bottom of the first inning, getting on the board with a home run by Ryan Hernandez to even out the score. The shot was his third home run in as many games, flying over 400 feet with an exit velocity of over 100 miles per hour.

The long ball would be a trend for Hernandez as he hit a second home run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Hernandez currently leads the MLB Draft League with eight home runs. He also leads the Black Bears in batting average with a .369 average on the season.

The bats continued for the Black Bears throughout the contest. The team totaled 9 runs on 11 hits for the contest and recorded three total home runs.

Zach Bravo, a former WVU pitcher, recorded the win for the Black Bears. He tallied seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings to get his first win of the season.

With the win, the Black Bears clinch the first half of the MLB Draft League. The MLB Draft begins this weekend, giving many players an opportunity to advance to the next level.

The Black Bears return to the field on Saturday for the final game of the series against the Scrappers. Following the game, the team will have a short break before heading back into action on the 22nd.

Copyright 2022 WDTV. All rights reserved.