Claws score six runs in the fifth

BlueClaws rout West Virginia 13-2 on Sunday afternoon

CHARLESTON, W.V. – The BlueClaws routed West Virginia 13-2 at Appalachian Power Park on Sunday afternoon, Lakewood’s season-best fifth victory in a row.

The ‘Claws had seven straight hitters reach base during the decisive rally, with five managing hits and two drawing walks. Travis Mattair had the only extra-base hit in the frame, driving in a pair of runs on a bases-loaded double.

Michael Taylor continued his hot hitting, finishing three-for-four with an RBI and a run scored. Taylor is now hitting .354, tops in the Northern Division.

Derrick Mitchell added his fifth home run of the season in the eighth inning. The long ball came with two on against Power reliever Jose Garcia.

The offensive outburst came in support of Chance Chapman, who had been lacking in run support up to this point. The BlueClaws had scored one run or fewer in five of his previous seven starts.

Chapman (2-4) held up his end of the bargain as well, throwing seven scoreless innings. The right-hander gave up just three hits. He also struck out eight and never allowed more than one runner to reach in any inning.

The BlueClaws got on the board first in the second inning. Karl Bolt led off the inning with a solo home run, his second of the season. Bolt would later be forced to exit the game when he was hit with a foul ball in the face while batting in the seventh.

Every Lakewood hitter had at least one hit.

Tim Kennelly made his 2008 BlueClaws debut in the game. Kennelly was added to the Lakewood roster prior to Saturday’s game, taking the place of Joel Naughton, who was placed on the temporarily inactive list.

Kennelly, who spent some time with the BlueClaws in 2007, went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

West Virginia finally got a pair of runs against reliever Yen-Feng Lin in the eighth inning. David Fonseca led the inning off with a double to start the rally.

The victory was the BlueClaws (26-24) seventh in their last eight games. They look to continue the recent run of success on Monday afternoon against the Power (19-30) at 1:05. Lakewood ace Drew Naylor (4-2) will make his 11th start of the season.