Link Report for Wed. 4/25 -- Four First-Place Teams

[Mass Haas]

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www.dailymail.com/story/S...e-victory/

 

Power ties franchise record with 12th consecutive victory

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

Shhh ... Don't tell the West Virginia Power coaches and players that their current winning streak is one of the longest in franchise history.

 

West Virginia extended its winning streak to 12 games Wednesday with a 7-1 victory over host Lexington (Ky.) at Applebee's Park.

 

The Power, which is in first place in the South Atlantic League's Northern Division first-half standings, improved to 14-3. The Legends dropped to 9-11.

 

West Virginia's winning streak is believed to be a franchise record and matches the mark set by two other Charleston-based Class A clubs, the 1990 Wheelers and the 2004 Alley Cats.

 

"I didn't know about it until you told me and I don't think any of the other guys know about it," Power left fielder Stephen Chapman said in a postgame telephone interview.

 

"I'm glad no one is thinking about it right now. If you don't know about it, you can't worry about it. It's like if you go up to the plate trying to hit a home run, you're not going to hit a home run and you're probably going to strike out.

 

"If we know we have a chance to break a record, then we're going to go out there trying not to lose instead of trying to win. We can't do that. As long as we play the way we have been playing, there aren't too many teams that can beat us right now."

 

Power starter Zach Braddock (2-0) again was impressive on the mound.

 

The left-hander allowed one run on four hits over six innings with eight strikeouts and no walks.

 

"He did a beautiful job," West Virginia pitching coach John Curtis said.

 

"He did a great job pitching to a tough hitting club. He threw well to both sides of the plate and he kept the ball down."

 

The Legends' run in the sixth inning was the first and only one Braddock has surrendered in 19 innings this season.

 

He had eight strikeouts and eight walks in his first two outings but has had 20 strikeouts and no walks in his last two outings.

 

"His last two outings have been sensational," Curtis said.

 

Power reliever Alex Periard pitched three scoreless innings to earn his second save.

 

West Virginia committed two errors in the eighth, allowing Lexington to load the bases with one out. But Periard coaxed Jordan Parraz into a threat-killing and inning-ending double play from second baseman Kenny Holmberg to shortstop Brent Brewer to first baseman Taylor Green.

 

"He did a good job of getting out of trouble," Curtis said.

 

Brewer led the Power with three hits, including one triple. Chapman added two doubles and accounted for four of West Virginia's runs, scoring one and driving in three more.

 

"Everybody is playing well and everybody is playing with that swagger," Chapman said. "We expect to win."

 

The teams will continue their four-game series at 7:05 Thursday night (6:05 Central) at Applebee's Park. The Power will start left-hander Mike Ramlow (1-1, 6.39). The Legends will throw left-hander Polin Trinidad (1-2, 10.32).

 

West Virginia will try to break the franchise record for Class A teams tonight, although coaches and players alike say that isn't on their minds.

 

"We haven't really thought about that," said Power Manager Mike Guerrero, whose team scored two in the second, four in the fifth and one in the seventh.

 

"It's great that we have a chance to break the record, but our concentration is on keeping everything as consistent as we can.

 

"The thing is, we're playing like a team right now. When you do that and you play fundamental baseball and you get the pitching and you get the hitting and you play good defense and you run the bases well, you usually get the W."