Scrappers' bats heat up in win over Auburn Mahoning Valley had 11 hits in a 5-0 win.

By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- Chris Bando must have known what the Mahoning Valley Scrappers are finding out: this team does have offensive ability.
Bando, the Scrappers first-year manager, predicted before the season that his team would hit the ball well. It wasn't evident early, however, as the Scrappers lost their first three games in Auburn with minimal run support.
But during the eight-game homestand, Mahoning Valley has begun to resurrect itself.
The Scrappers' win Monday at Cafaro Field, 5-0 over Auburn, was their second straight and third in the last four games.
Auburn (5-2) came into Monday's game with the New York-Penn League's top offense (.276 batting average) and defense (1.66 ERA). That didn't matter to the Scrappers (3-4), who had 11 hits while blanking the Doubledays and holding them to just four hits.
"We have an offensive club," Bando said. "I said this at the beginning, and I know it's going to happen. We've got a lot of guys who can swing the bat. When they all get hot at the same time, it's going to be fun to watch."
Quick start
The first Scrappers batter of Monday's game, second baseman Shaun Larkin, homered over the right-field wall off Doubledays starter Isamel Ramirez (0-1).
"My job as the leadoff guy is to see as many pitches as I can and get on base," Larkin said. "I just happened to put it out of the park. I thought it was going to be a double to get us going, but the ball carried out."
Larkin, a first-year player from Cypress, Calif., has had a slow start to professional baseball. He was 1-for-18 (.056) going into Monday's game.
"He's had a number of good at-bats but not many results," Bando said. "He's going to [get results] because he has quick hands. You can tell he's going to be an offensive second baseman; the guy has some pop and some good bat speed."
The Scrappers did the rest of their damage in the next two innings. Shortstop Bryce Uegawachi hit an RBI single in the second, and Larkin drove in another run with an RBI single for a 3-0 lead.
Third baseman Brad Guglielmelli had the biggest hit of the third inning, a two-†run double with the bases loaded and two outs.
"He had tremendous intensity up there and he got a big hit for us," Bando said.
The Scrappers loaded the bases with no outs and nearly stranded them there, but Guglielmelli was able to give his team a 5-0 lead.
"Getting that first hit out of the way was huge," said Guglielmelli, who singled and scored on Larkin's hit in the second. "The second time [at the plate], I just wanted to stay calm and get a pitch to hit. It was just more support for Victor."
Strong pitching
That would be Victor Kleine (1-0), the left-handed pitcher who held the Doubledays to just two hits in six innings for the victory. He struck out two and walked three.
"I just took the same approach as always," Kleine said. "Uegawachi made some unbelievable plays, so did Baxter, and the guys were swinging it."
Uegawachi, the shortstop, and Andrew Baxter, the first baseman, backed Kleine with strong defense.
Uegawachi put away seven groundball outs, including one where he sacrificed his body to complete a double play, while Baxter made a diving catch in the sixth inning and a leaping grab in the eighth.
"Bryce is very capable of acrobatic plays," Bando said. "He has tremendous soft hands, and he was just fun to watch."
Kleine was supported effectively out of the bullpen by Ignacio Montano and Chris White.
AUBURNMAHONING VALLEY
abrhbiabrhbi
Adams ss4000Larkin 2b4122
Rivera 2b4000Van Every cf4000
German 3b3010Baxter 1b4110
Johnston 1b4000Peavey dh4110
Schneider c2000Wright rf4020
Siriveaw rf3020Wallace c3120
Owens cf3000Conroy lf4000
Kimberly lf3000Guglielmlli 3b4122
Hassey dh3010Uegawachi ss3011
Totals29040Totals345115
Auburn000000000--0
Mahoning Valley122000000--5
DP--Mahoning Valley 1, Auburn 1. LOB--Mahoning Valley 6, Auburn 5. HR--Larkin. 3B--Siriveaw. 2B--Guglielmelli.
IPHRERBBSO
Auburn
Ramirez L, 0-12 1-385503
Pleiness4 2-320005
Cardwell110010
Mahoning Valley
Kleine W, 1-0620032
Montano220002
White100001
WP--Kleine. Umpires--Charlie Carillo, home; Aaron Banks, bases. T--2:22. A--2,365.
HOW THEY SCORED
FIRST INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 1, AUBURN 0
Scrappers: Ismael Ramirez pitching. Shaun Larkin homered over the right-field wall. Jonathan Van Every grounded out to second. Andrew Baxter struck out. Bill Peavey struck out. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left.
SECOND INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 3, AUBURN 0
Scrappers: Ramirez pitching. Brian Wright grounded out to third. Dave Wallace singled to left, Mike Conroy flied out to third. Brad Guglielmelli singled to right, Wallace to second. Bryce Uegawachi singled to right, Wallace scored, Guglielmelli to third. Larkin singled to center, Guglielmelli scored, Uegawachi to second. Van Every grounded out to first. 2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 2 left.
THIRD INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 5, AUBURN 0
Scrappers: Ramirez pitching. Baxter singled to right center, Peavey singled to right, Wright singled to center to load the bases. Wallace struck out. Chad Pleiness pitching. Conroy struck out. Guglielmelli doubled down the left-field line, Baxter, Peavey scored, Wright to third. Uegawachi grounded out to short. 2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 2 left.
richesson@vindy.com