Wednesday night at Linda K. Epling Stadium, threes were wild, but the number four was the ultimate moneymaker for the West Virginia Miners.
Erasing their second three-run deficit of the night, the Miners scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to rally past Lafayette 10-9 and snap a three-game skid.
“We had a heart-to-heart talk the other night and I wasn’t very happy after the game in Chillicothe. I shared my thoughts with them, but I just wanted them to compete one pitch at a time and never give up, regardless,” West Virginia manager Tim Epling said. “We want the same mindset whether it is 0-10, 0-0 or 10-0 and sometimes that is hard for kids to grasp. When you learn how to compete one pitch at a time and do your job with excellence, then everything will take care of its self.”
Trailing 9-6 in their final trips to the plate, the Miners took Epling’s advice to heart.
Coby Tweten worked a one-out walk and scored on a solid double from Alex Christie to make the visitors uneasy.
Silas Butler added to the nervousness when he singled home Christie to pull the Miners within a single run. Butler took second on the ground ball out and then scored on a single from Devin Hooper to tie the game.
An infield single from Barrett Riebock and a walk to Zach Doss loaded the bases putting the Miners just 90 feet from walk-off win.
When a low pitch eluded the Lafayette catcher, Hooper scampered home with the game winner and a free ice-shower from a jubilant bunch of Miners.
“We have had some injuries and three or four kids that are leaving. When you have that, you have to play the kids that are going to be here,” Epling said. “We are just gutting it out and we are having fun. I told them as long as they learn how to compete and work hard that is all I can ask. This is a good win for them and I am happy for them.”
The visitors wasted no time jumping on Miners.
Six pitches into the first inning, the Aviators had three hits and a 2-0 lead thanks to bases clearing double from Tanner Craig.
Before the Miners could record the third out, Lafayette had added another run for a 3-0 lead.
The Miners missed a golden opportunity to score when Hooper led off the bottom of the third with a triple.
Two strikeouts and an infield fly erased the threat.
For four innings, Lafayette starter Jackson Dannelley had baffled West Virginia striking out nine batters and allowing just one hit.
The Miners finally solved the puzzle in the home half of the fifth.
Stephen Karis walked to start the inning and when Hooper’s come-backer to Dannelley was thrown wide of second, the Miners had their biggest threat of the night.
After an unsuccessful sacrifice bunt erased Karis at third, Eddie Leon singled home Hooper and moved Josh Griffin to third.
Hayden Skipper then singled to score Griffin before Blake Lazaris walked, loading the bases for Tweten.
The big first-baseman delivered with the third single of the inning to give the Miners a 4-3 lead.
Lafayette escaped further damage when center-fielder Brandon Daniels ended the Miners outburst with a strong throw to the plate after a fly ball out.
West Virginia added another run in the sixth when Hooper doubled to start the frame and scored on a single from Leon.
The lead was short-lived, however. Five innings of scoreless work by the Miners staff came to an end in the seventh.
With runners at first and second after a lead-off walk and a single, Craig hit his second double of the night to even the game at 5-5.
A wild pitch moved Craig to third with one out and the Aviators regained the lead when Craig scored on a single from Ethan Bedgood. A single from Jared Harris capped the four-run outburst for a 7-5 lead.
Tweten cut the lead back to one run with a solo blast to open the bottom of the seventh only to see the Aviators build the lead back to three in the top of the ninth.
“Right now we are having to fight for everything that we have. We have closers that we are turning into starters. We have middle relief guys that we are turning into some type of starter or (late inning) relievers,” Epling said. “We are just matching and moving guys and doing everything we can to get ourselves in a position to win. It is different than any other year than I have ever had here.”
The two teams will play game two of the four-game set Thursday at 6:35 p.m.