Scrappers' recent performance provides case of all or nothing

The team followed Thursday's 5-0 win with Friday's 9-4 loss.
By BILL ALBRIGHT
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NILES -- Baseball can be a game of everything and a game of nothing.
Thursday night, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers did everything right and came away with a 5-0 win over the Brooklyn Cyclones.
Friday was a different story as the Scrappers could do nothing right and were belted 9-4 by the Cyclones at Cafaro Field.
"I wish we would have more games like we had last night, but this kind of thing happens," said Scrapper manager Ted Kubiak. "We got a lot of hits, but we needed to tighten up the defense.
"That has been kind of our downfall all season."
Falling behind
The Cyclones took the early lead by scoring three times in the top of he first inning.
Leading Brooklyn were Rashad Parker with a bunt single and Brett Harper with a two-run double.
"T.J. (Burton) started off a little rough in the first inning," said Kubiak. "He still had some trouble getting the ball down, but he did come back and get out of some tough spots."
With the 3-0 Brooklyn lead holding through three frames, things turned ugly for the Scrappers in the fourth when the Cyclones erupted for five more runs to hold a commanding 8-0 lead.
Tough inning
"I was hoping [Burton] could get out of that inning, but it didn't happen," added Kubiak. "[Three] errors certainly didn't help. On that one play, it started off pretty good, but then all hell broke loose."
The Scrappers fought back to score two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Ryan Garko and Ryan Mulhern each doubled and Jesus Colmenter added an RBI single.
"Although we were down 8-0, the guys showed a good sign by battling back," said Kubiak.
After the Cyclones added another run in the fifth, the Scrappers answered with a pair in the seventh, but it was too little, too late.
HOW THEY SCORED
FIRST INNING
Brooklyn -- The Cyclones loaded the bases on walks to Jonathan Slack and Aaron Baldiris sandwiched around a bunt single by Rashad Parker. Brett Harper plated Slack and Parker with a ground rule double and Baldiris later scored on a fielder's choice ground ball off the bat of Ender Chavez. 3 Runs, 2 Hits, 2 LOB.
FOURTH INNING
Brooklyn -- Chavez singled to center and went to third on David Reaver's double to left. With two outs, Parker singled to left, scoring Chavez and Reaver. When Parker got caught in a rundown between first and second, Scrapper first baseman Ryan Mulhern's throw was errant and went all the way to the warning track, allowing Parker to score. Ian Gladergroen kept things alive with a single to right and Baldiris followed with a base on balls. Harper hit a fly ball to deep center that was dropped by Brad Snyder, allowing both Bladergroen and Baldiris to score. 5 Runs, 4 Hits, 2 Errors, 1 LOB.
Mahoning Valley -- With one out, Ryan Garko doubled to right and scored on a RBI double to left by Ryan Mulhern. The Scrappers scored their second run of the game with two outs when Jesus Colmenter plated Mulhern with a RBI single to right. 2 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB.
Brooklyn -- Blake Whealy sigled to left and scored on a RBI triple to right by Reaver. 1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Mahoning Valley -- Anthony Lunetta doubled to left and went to third on a single to center by Brad Snyder. Lunetta scored on a RBI groundout by Mike Conroy. Snyder scored the fourth Scrapper run of the game on a RBI double to left by Kevin Kouzmanoff. 2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB.