MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Scrappers recover from miscues, plate 10 unanswered runs in win

Allowing three unearned runs did not phase Mahoning Valley.
By BILL ALBRIGHT
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NILES -- During the first four innings of Saturday night's game with Brooklyn, Mahoning Valley played the role of gracious hosts as the Scrappers spotted the Cyclones a 3-0 lead on three unearned runs.
However, from that point, it was all Scrappers as they put 10 unanswered runs on the board for a 10-3 lead before prevailing 10-6 at Cafaro Field.
"They [some of the players] were a little shaky out there tonight," said Mahoning Valley manager Ted Kubiak. "It was good to beat them because they came in a little cocky."
The Cyclones took advantage of two costly Scrapper miscues as the first bobble led to an unearned run in the first before they added two more in the fifth as a result of the second misplay.
While the Scrappers were bobbling the ball around the infield, Cyclone starter Rafael Castro was busy holding Mahoning Valley at bay over the first four frames.
Awakened bats
Trailing 3-0, the Scrappers finally got their bats going in the middle innings against Cyclone relievers Ivan Maldonaldo and Bryan King.
In the bottom of the fifth they combined four singles with a sacrifice fly to tie the score with three runs.
Not satisfied with just tying the score, the Scrappers kept the offense going in the sixth frame as they added five more runs to take an 8-3 lead. The big hit in the five-run sixth was a three-run homer by Kevin Kouzmanoff, his eighth homer of the campaign.
"I have been looking for good pitches to hit and tonight, I got them," said Kouzmanoff.
With the five-run lead, the Scrappers added a pair in the seventh on a pair of walks, a wild pitch and an RBI single by Jesus Colmenter.
Brooklyn set the final score in the ninth when Ian Bladergroen hit a three-run homer to right.
For the second night in a row, Mahoning Valley hit double digits in the hit column, no less than six Scrappers coming up with two hits apiece.
"Their work is paying off for them. That is all I can say," said Kubiak about the bats coming through. "Jimmy [hitting coach Rickon] has been working hard with them. We were standing down there hoping that Kouz would hit a home run, and bang, he did."
BROOKLYNMAHONING VALLEY
abrhbiabrhbi
Slack cf4120Snyder cf5220
Parker lf3101Conroy lf5010
Gonzalez 1b1110Kouzmanff 3b4124
Bladergron 1b5123Goleski rf4022
Baldiris 3b2001Garko c4000
Linares 3b2010Mulhern 1b3220
Harper dh4010Van Every dh2200
Whealy 2b4010Colmenter ss3121
Chavez rf3000Lunetta 2b4222
Wilson rf1000
Reaver ss3110
Garcia c3100
Totals35695Totals3410139
Brooklyn100020003--6
Mahoning Valley00003520x--10
E--Garko, Mulhern. LOB--Brooklyn 7, Mahoning Valley 7. 2B--Whealy. HR--Bladergroen, Kouzmanoff. SH--Garcia, Colmenter. SF--Parker, Kouzmanoff. SB--Slack, Reaver, Mulhern.
IPHRERBBSO
Brooklyn
Castro430023
Maldonaldo2-343300
King L, 1-22-323300
Correra134420
Walker1 2-310001
Mahoning Valley
Weaver543013
Hanson W, 3-2330013
Southerland123313
WP--Corra, Walker. HBP--by King (Van Every). T--3:09. A--5,739.
HOW THEY SCORED
BROOKLYN FIRST: Rashad Parker reached on a fielder's choice, went to second on a error charged to Ryan Mulhern on a pickoff attempt, moved to third on a single to center by Ian Baldergroen and scored on a RBI groundout by Aaron Baldiris. 1 run, 2 hits, 1 errors, 1 LOB.
BROOKLYN FIFTH: David Reaver singled to center, stole second and scored when Yunir Garcia's sacrifice bunt attempt was thrown into left field by Scrapper catcher Ryan Garko, Garcia moving to third. Garcia moved to third on a groundout by Jonathan Slack and scored on a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of Parker. 2 runs, 1 hit, 1 error.
MAHONING VALLEY FIFTH: The Scrappers loaded the bases with three straight singles by Jesus Colmenter, Anthony Lunetta and Brad Snyder. With one out, Colmenter scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Kevin Kouzmanoff, and Ryan Goleski followed with a two-run single to right, plating both Lunetta and Snyder. 3 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors and 1 LOB.
MAHONING VALLEY SIXTH: Ryan Mulhern singled to right, Jonathan Van Every was hit by a pitch and both runners moved up one base on a sacrifice bunt by Colmenter. After scoring a run in the fifth, Lunetta drove in both Mulhern and Van Every with a two-run single to center. With two outs, Kouzmanoff completed the uprising with a three-run homer to right, chasing both Lunetta and Snyder home ahead of him. 5 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
MAHONING VALLEY SEVENTH: Mulhern walked, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch. Van Every walked. Mulhern scored on Colmenter's RBI single to right, Van Every moving to third. Van Every scored on a wild pitch, Colmenter to second. 2 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors and 1 LOB.
BROOKLYN NINTH: Jonathan Slack walked, Humberto Gonzalez singled to right and Ian Bladergroen followed with a three-run home run to right. 3 runs, 2 hits.