Last Night in Hagerstown

One bad inning? That can be overcome. But two? Well, that’s too much.

The West Virginia Power sent up nine men in the 5th and 7th innings and five of ’em came around to score as the Hagerstown Suns fell yet again, 12-4 on a hot Saturday night in Hagerstown. It was their fifth straight loss and eighth loss in nine games since the second half began.

Tomas Alastre, who was making just his fourth start of the month of June, gave up a single on the very first pitch and then got through the first two innings relatively unscathed before getting dinged for two in the 3rd, on a single, double, walk, and a wild pitch in the 3rd to fall behind 2-0.

After a three-up, three-down 4th and retiring the leadoff batter of the 5th, Alastre came unglued in the 5th as he gave up a double, single, and hit a batter before getting the second out on a sac fly. But the Power kept the circuit open with another single, another double , and an infield hit that pushed the lead to 7-0.

The Suns answered with two in the 5th as they took advantage of West Virginia starter Hunter Stratton issuing three walks and his batterymate letting two go by to enable two runs to score with just a single hit, a double by Oliver Ortiz.

Jake Scudder doubled and came around on a pair of ground outs to make it 7-3, but that’s the closest it would be as the Power decoded Phil Morse for five runs in the top of the 7th on six hits to put this game away. Hagerstown got one back in the bottom of the 7th as their 18-y.o. phenoms Yasel Antuna connected for singles in between an infield hit that the umpires called an out by the diminutive Cole Freeman (5’9″? Maybe in 2″ cleats or 3″ heels).

Aside from Kameron Esthay’s fourth walk, the Suns went in order in the last two innings. The two teams continue their four-game series this afternoon with Kyle Johnston (1-2, 3.15) facing off against Cody Bolton (3-0, 1.03).