NY-PENN LEAGUE Scrappers' comeback falls short

Mahoning Valley scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth, but still lost, 13-12.
By BILL SULLIVAN
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- It's gut-check time for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers and one player may have expressed the team's feelings after an emotional 13-12 loss to the Hudson Valley Renegades Monday at Cafaro Field.
Outfielder Miguel Quintana had a team-record -- and likely a New York-Penn League record -- four doubles in the nine-inning game the Scrappers (8-26) nearly won in their last at-bat.
"I went over my at bats and realized I had four doubles," Quintana said. "I never done that before. I never even heard of that."
But the personal glory for the Miami, Fla., resident meant nothing after the last-inning rally fell short.
"It's a tough loss; we've been playing much better the past couple of weeks," Quintana said. "My four doubles don't count because we didn't get a win. I'd trade it for a win; I'd trade all those four doubles for a win."
No surprise: Scrappers' manager Dave Turgeon wasn't surprised by Quintana's feelings.
"That a tribute to the kind of guy he is," Turgeon said. "But that's the feeling in the entire clubhouse. It shows his emotion and it shows his maturity. It shows his selflessness."
After trailing 6-1 in the third, the Scrappers went ahead 7-6 after a four-run seventh inning.
Reliever Todd Culp was instrumental in the comeback. He struck out eight in three-and-two-thirds innings after starter Nick Moran gave up seven hits and six runs.
"Culp came in and did a great job," Turgeon said. "He fortunately can throw his breaking ball for strikes. That's a good fastball-hitting team. He did a good job."
Homer-happy: Three different Scrappers led off innings with home runs -- Angel Bastardo with a 360-foot shot to left center in the second, Chad Peshke with a bomb over the wall in left center in the third and Mike Edwards with a 365-foot blast on the second pitch of the fifth frame.
The Renegades (19-14), who escaped town with a split in the four-game series, scored twice in the eighth to go up 8-7.
But back-to-back-to-back doubles by Quintana, Rickie Morton and Angel Bastardo in the last of the eighth again knotted the game at 8.
The Scrappers hammered out 17 hits on the game, including eight doubles.
When the Renegades used five hits and two errors to score five times in the top of the ninth inning and go up 13-8, a lesser team might have phoned in the bottom of the final frame.
Not the Scrappers, who have lost 13 of 16 one-run games.
"I thought we were going to win that ball game," Dave Turgeon said.
Two walks, a hit batter, a wild pitch, a dropped fly ball and Morton's triple to dead center produced four runs and made it a 13-12 game.
Morton rested on third base, 90-feet from tying the contest, with just one out.
The final two Scrappers struck out, but the team hung in, despite being down five runs in the ninth.
"We took advantage and kept fighting," Turgeon said. "We were up there with an idea and with a plan."
Morton had a single, double, triple and four RBIs; Bastardo had a homer, double and a single; while Brian Kirby had two doubles and a single.
HOW THEY SCORED
SECOND INNING
HUDSON VALLEY 3, MAHONING VALLEY 1
Renegades: Eric Reece homered to right center, 375-feet, on first pitch. Aaron Clark homered to left center, 360-feet, on a full count. Kevin O'Brien singled. Matt Rico flew out. Brian Wolotka singled O'Brien to third. Jorge Maduro reached on catcher's interference to load the bases. Fernando Cortez reached on a fielder's choice, Maduro out at second, O'Brien scored, Wolotka to third. Luis DePaula grounded out. 3 runs, 4 hits, 1 errors, 2 LOB.
Scrappers: Angel Bastardo homered to left center field, 360-feet. Jonathan Van Every flew out. Brian Kirby singled. Francis Finnerty grounded out, Kirby to second. Jesus Colmenter grounded out. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
THIRD INNING
HUDSON VALLEY 6, MAHONING VALLEY 2
Renegades: Edgar Gonzalez grounded out. Reece walked. Clark homered to right center, 380-feet, Reece scored. O'Brien singled. Rico struck out. Wolotka doubled in O'Brien. Todd Culp in to pitch for Nick Moran. Maduro struck out. 3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Scrappers: Chad Peshke homered to left center. Mike Edwards reached on a fielding error. Miguel Quintana hit into a double play, 4-6-3. Rickie Morton reached on a throwing error. Angel Bastardo reached on a fielder's choice, Morton to third on a throwing error. Van Every grounded out. 1 run, 1 hit, 3 errors, 2 LOB.
FIFTH INNING
HUDSON VALLEY 6, MAHONING VALLEY 3
Scrappers: Edwards homer to left center on second pitch, 360-feet away. Rich Dorman in to pitch for Nathan Cromer. Quintana ground rule double to center. Morton grounded out. Bastardo grounded out. Van Every struck out. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
SEVENTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 7, HUDSON VALLEY 6
Scrappers: Quintana doubled. Quintana to third on a wild pitch. Morton single to right, Quintana scored. Bastardo singled to right, Morton to third, Bastardo to second on the throw. Chris Crawford in to pitch for Dorman. Van Every single to center scored Morton, Bastardo to third. Kirby doubled to right field corner to score Bastardo and Van Every. Nicholas Aiello in to pitch for Crawford. Finnerty popped up. Colmenter struck out. Peshke struck out. 4 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
EIGHTH INNING
HUDSON VALLEY 8, MAHONING VALLEY 8
Renegades: Cortez hit by a pitch. DePaula singled Cortez to second. Chris Cooper in to pitch for Colvard. Gonzalez sacrifice bunt, Cortez to third, DePaula to second. Reece single scored Cortez, DePaula to third. Clark sacrifice fly, DePaula scored. O'Brien struck out. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Scrappers: Edwards flew out. Quintana fourth double hits the line in left. Morton double down right field line scores Quintana. Bastardo double, the team's eighth, sends Morton to third. Van Every grounded out. Kirby struck out. 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
NINTH INNING
HUDSON VALLEY 13, MAHONING VALLEY 12
Renegades: Rico grounded out. Nate Dion hitting for Wolotka reaches on an infield single. Maduro reaches on catcher's interferrence, Dion to second. Cortez singles to score Dion, Maduro to second. DePaula singles to load the bases. Gonzalez struck out. Reece singles in Maduro and Cortez, DePaula scored on throwing error which sends Reece to third. Clark double scores Reece. O'Brien walks. Rico flew out. 5 runs, 5 hits, 2 errors, 2 LOB.
Scrappers: Oscar Bustillos in to pitch for Aiello. Finnerty walks. Finnerty takes second on a wild pitch. Colmenter hit by a pitch. Peshke walked to load the bases. Edwards flew out. Quintana reached on a fielders error, goes to second, Finnerty, Colmeter score, Peshke to third. Morton triple to dead center scored Quintana, Peshke. Bastardo walked. Eric Thompson in to run for Bastardo. Van Every struck out. Kirby struck out. 4 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
HUDSON VALLEYMAHONING VALLEY
abrhbiabrhbi
Cortez, 3b4212Peshke, 2b5211
DePaula, ss6220Edwards, dh6111
Gonzalez, 2b5000Quintana, rf6340
Reece, dh5334Morton, 1b6134
Clark, rf4245Bastardo, c5231
O'Brien, 1b5230Van Every, cf6111
Rico, cf3000Kirby, lf5032
Wolotka, lf4021Finnerty, 3b4110
Dion, cf1110Colmenter, ss3101
Maduro, c4100
Totals43131612Totals46121710
Hudson Valley033000025--13
Mahoning Valley011010414--12
E--Cortez 2, Depaula, Rico, Bastardo 2, Kirby. LOB--Hudson Valley 13; Mahoning Valley 13. DP--Hudson Valley 1. 2B--Wolotka, Clark, Quintana 4, Kirby 2, Morton, Bastardo. 3B--Morton. HR--Reece, Clark 2, Bastardo, Peshke, Edwards.
IPHRERBBSO
Hudson Valley
Cromer453311
Dorman263301
Crawford021100
Aiello, W231103
Bustillos114002
Mahoning Valley
Moran2 2-376512
Culp3 2-320028
Colvard2-312201
Cooper, L265012
Umpires--Home, Chris Conroy; second, Steve McMullin. T--3:56. A--4,390