LAFAYETTE, IN. – The first of two-day games was nearly perfect on both ends of the field. Lafayette dominated the West Virginia Miners 7-3 thanks to 17 hits and a total of 11 punch-outs. Each team scored in the second inning. The Miners knocked in Karis with a single, and the Aviators hit their 10th home run of the season when Trevor Johnson hit a bomb into right as the leadoff hitter.
West Virginia would fail to score another run until the eighth inning when Shea and Skipper would score unearned runs after an error by Tanner Craig allowed the inning to progress. Andrew Talkington, the starting pitcher, would do his best to hold back the Aviators. His performance concluded with six hits, four runs, a walk, and six punch-outs in 20 total batters faced. His record drops to 0-3.
The Boys were flying high at the plate, securing a hit in every single inning, including four consecutive multi-hit innings to close the game. Every batter in the lineup finished with a hit. Tucker, Tencza, Daniels, Johnson, Snyder, and Hatcher finished with two or more hits. The offense didn’t explode for big plays very often, but slow chips away at the Miner’s defense racked up a total of 14 singles.
While Lafayette’s offense lit up the scoreboard, Tyler Yotkewich snuffed out the Miner’s bats. The starter earned his second win of the season after pitching six and two-thirds innings. In his start, he allowed six hits for one run and fanned out eight Miner batters in his 26 batters faced. He earned the hardest working player award following the win.
Lafayette is back to 12-12 and will close out the six-game homestand with one more day game against the Miners tomorrow, June 27th, before hitting the road for six games. First pitch is at 12:00 p.m.
