Beckley – The Miners played close early in Thursday night’s game against the Johnston Mill Rats at the Linda K. Epling Stadium before pulling away late. While they struggled early in the game, they would push through and score plenty of runs for a commanding 14-6 victory.
Defensively, the hosts gave up one run in the first off of an RBI single. The second was no better, giving up two runs and committing two errors. Miners second baseman Kenneth Melendez dropped a catch leading to one of the two runs of the inning.
The home team finally got rolling offensively in the bottom of the second.
Melendez found some redemption with an RBI-triple to send shortstop Jake Reifsnyder home. Melendez would get stranded at third by the end of the inning, making it a 3-1 game heading to the third.
Johnstown would not score any runs for the first time the game. The Miners made sure of it, inducing two quick flyouts and stranding two on base.
The bottom of the third came, and the Miners poured it on.
Mills started it off with an RBI-single to score both Denver Blinn and Straton Podaras. The Miners continued scoring with an RBI-double from Melendez, an RBI-single from David Meech, eventually ending in Meech scoring the fifth run of the inning. The host team concluded their comeback inning, leading 6-3.
Team manager Tim Epling spoke about how he felt after an inning like this.
“I think there’s momentum in games,” Epling said. “I think we were complacent at the beginning and just going through the motions. Our plate discipline just wasn’t there. I think those are all learning experiences to make adjustments throughout the game.”
The good luck continued for the Miners in the top of the fourth after pitcher Louis Lipthratt repeated the top of the third with three flyouts and stranding two players on base.
Austyn Coleman came in to pitch at the top of the fifth, helping the Miners get three quick outs and leaving one player stranded at third.
Coleman wouldn’t stop there, clinching three straight outs in the top of the sixth. He struck out second baseman Damian Yenzi, who had a base hit in all of his prior at-bats.
Johnstown made an effort to come back in the top of the seventh after an RBI single by outfielder Andre Good scored the first of three runs. The Rats ended up tying the game 6-6 to keep the Miners on their toes.
The Minersdidn’t take long to reclaim the lead, scoring runs off of Meech and Reifsnyder in the bottom of the seventh. The host team managed to load the bases after only one out, but couldn’t bring any home by the end of the inning.
Coleman wouldn’t let the pressure get to him though. The Miners did let a runner on third and second, however, they were both stranded and the Rats wouldn’t score any runs at the top of the eighth.
The Miners pushed their lead even more with another two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Bases loaded, Epling decided to let Mac Danford come in and pinch-hit. His decision paid off, Danford notched an RBI-double to send Juan Familia and Reifsnyder home. The Miners kept it hot with another run on an error by the Mill Rats’ catcher Tyler Dellerman. Blinn would continue his great night with an RBI-triple to send Danford home. Dellerman would miss another pitch allowing Blinn to score. Not stopping there, Mills would allow Podaras to score his second run of the game to extend the score 14-6.
Johnstown wouldn’t be able to recover, striking out twice and flying out to center to end the game.
Both teams will meet again Friday in Beckley at 6:35p.m.
