SCRAPPERS Late rally rescues sloppy defense

Pitcher Todd Culp worked 22/3 shutout innings in relief to pick up the win.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- Enough was "E"-nough.
The Mahoning Valley Scrappers shook off possibly their ugliest inning of the season, scoring four runs in the eighth inning Wednesday night to win their second straight game over the Brooklyn Cyclones, 5-4, at Cafaro Field.
"Things can't go against you all year," said Scrappers manager Dave Turgeon. "We caught a break."
They didn't catch much else.
Error: Mahoning Valley (20-41) committed seven errors, including five in the sixth inning. The Cyclones (44-19) scored three runs that inning on two hits and a walk.
Brooklyn first baseman Jay Caligiuri led off the sixth with a bloop single that Travis Santini misplayed to allow Caliguiri to move to second. Scrappers starter Luke Field's throwing error advanced Caligiuri to third. Designated hitter Frank Corr struck out, but reached first on a wild pitch and advanced to second on catcher Josh Bard's throwing error, scoring Caligiuri. After Joe Jiannetti flied out, Noel Devarez singled and reached second on an error, moving Corr to third.
Pitcher Todd Culp then relieved Fields and gave up a single to Forrest Lawson that Santini misplayed for -- what else? -- an error, allowing both runners to score. Lawson was thrown out trying to take third on the play and Francisco Sosa flied out to mercifully end the inning.
It was as ugly as it looked.
"The wheels fell off that inning," Turgeon said. "But it doesn't matter. Not one of the seven errors hurt us because we won the game."
Comeback: Pinch-hitter Maximo Made started the Scrappers' rally in the eighth with a single to right. After Dennis Malave flied out to center, Chad Peshke and Josh Bard each singled, allowing Made to score. Rickie Morton then walked to load the bases and Miguel Quintana hit a two-RBI single to put Mahoning Valley ahead for good.
Peshke went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for Mahoning Valley. Keith Lillash walked and scored in the fourth.
"We finally began batting and got a couple knocks," Turgeon said. "To our credit, we haven't mailed anything in and we're not going to. We feel like we're going to win every night we go out there."
Caligiuri went 2-for-4 with a homer and two runs scored. Jiannetti and Sosa each had two hits for the Cyclones.
Cyclone pitching: Brooklyn's Ross Peeples worked five innings, giving up an unearned run on two hits, striking out four. Orlando Roman pitched 22/3 innings, giving up three runs, all earned. David Byard (3-1) got the loss, working the last out of the eighth and surrendering the winning run.
Fields pitched 51/3 innings, giving up four runs (one earned) on seven hits, two walks and a strikeout. Culp (2-5) worked 22/3 shutout innings to get the win. Brian Curtin got the first two outs of the ninth and Chris Cooper got the final out to earn his first save.
"We didn't get some breaks early," Culp said. "But we got some breaks later in the game. It seems like we play the good teams good and the mediocre teams mediocre. But we're playing good baseball -- a lot better than our record shows."
BROOKLYNMAHONING VALLEY
abrhbiabrhbi
Lydon cf3000Malave cf4000
Kay ph1000Peshke 3b4121
Bacani 2b4000Bard c3111
Caliguiri 1b4221Morton 1b3100
Corr dh4100Quintana rf4112
Jiannetti 3b4020Bastardo dh3010
Devarez rf4110Kirby lf1000
Lawson lf3010Uegawachi ss3010
Sosa c4020Lillash 2b1200
McIntire ss3000Made 2b1110
Totals34481Totals29664
Brooklyn0001003000--4
Mahoning Valley00100004x--5
E--Bard 3, Santini, Sosa 2, Peshke, Made. DP--none. LOB--Mahoning Valley 4, Brooklyn 6. 2B--Peshke, Bard, Quintana. SB--Lydon, Jiannetti, Quintana. CS--Sosa, Uegawachi.
IPHRERBBSO
Brooklyn
Peeples51/321034
Roman22/333302
Byard L, 3-11/311010
Mahoning Valley
Field51/374111
Culp W, 2-522/300000
Curtin2/310000
Cooper S, 11/300000
Umpires--Bill Coble, home; Charles Carillo, bases. T--2:34. A--4,548.
HOW THEY SCOREDTHIRD INNINGMAHONING VALLEY 1, BROOKLYN 0
Scrappers: Bryce Uegawachi singled, caught stealing. Keith Lillash walked. Dennis Malave grounded to second. Lillash advanced on second baseman Fransisco Sosa's error. Chad Peshke hit an RBI single. Josh Bard grounded to short. 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 left.
FOURTH INNINGMAHONING VALLEY 1, BROOKLYN 1
Cyclones: Jay Caligiuri homered to left. Frank Corr flied out to right. Joe Jiannetti singled. Noel Devarez grounded to short. Jiannetti advances to second. Forrest Lawson grounded to short. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left.
SIXTH INNINGBROOKLYN 4, MAHONING VALLEY 1
Cyclones: Caligiuri singled to left, advanced to second when left fielder Peshke mishandles ball. Advances to third on pitcher Luke Field's throwing error. Corr strikes out, but advances to first on WP, advancing to third on catcher Josh Bard's throwing error. Caligiuri scored. Joe Jiannetti popped out to Field. Noel Devarez singled, advances to third on an error by Peshke. Lawson singled, scoring Corr and Jiannetti, advances to second on Bard's error, but is thrown out trying to advance to third. Fransisco Sosa flied out to left. 3 runs, 3 hits, 5 errors, 0 left.
EIGHTH INNINGMAHONING VALLEY 5, BROOKLYN 4
Scrappers: Bryce Uegawachi flied to center. Maximo Made singled to right. Dennis Malave flied to center. Peshke singled to right, advancing Uegawachi to third. Bard singled to left, scoring Uegawachi. Peshke to second. Rickie Morton walked. Runners move up. Miguel Quintana singled to right, scoring Peshke and Bard. Quintana steals second, catcher Sosa charged with a throwing error. Angel Bastardo grounds out to second. 4 runs, 4 hits, 1 error, 2 left.
scalzo@vindy.com