SCRAPPERS Auburn remains league's hot team

The Doubledays used the long ball against Mahoning Valley.
By BILL SULLIVAN
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- Break up the Auburn Doubledays.
At least that is the cry throughout the New York-Penn League after Auburn opened the season with 11 wins in its first 12 games.
The Doubledays hammered out 13 hits Saturday, including three home runs, in a 9-6 victory over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers at Cafaro Field.
The home runs were hit by Juan Peralta, Ryan Roberts and Eric Kratz, and A.J. Porfirio added a double for the Doubledays.
Scrapper highlights
Brad Snyder made his first professional hit one to remember.
A ground-rule double bounced off the 405-foot green wall in center field to score Eric Johnson, who had walked, tying the score 1-1 in the first inning. Snyder later scored on a single by Javier Herrera.
Kevin Kouzmanoff now has a defensive gem to add to his early professional resume. In the fourth inning, with Auburn ahead 4-3, the Doubledays put runners on second and third with no outs.
Kouzmanoff reached across his body to field a ground ball, alertly tagged out the baserunner leaning the wrong way and threw across the diamond for a double play.
The Scrappers had three double plays in the first five innings.
Notebook
Snyder, the 18th overall selection of the amateur draft, made his home debut Saturday. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder from Ball State started in center field. Snyder hit .405 (81-for-200) with 14 homers as a senior. ... The Scrappers had "Bring Your Pet To The Park Day" with expected, calm results among the 100-plus dogs in attendance. Ray Pelyhes attended with his 2-year-old Labrador/Italian greyhound mix, Candy. "We always like bringing her everywhere. Finally, we can go somewhere and bring her," said Pelyhes. Prior to the game, Scrappers general manager Andy Milovich and assistant Dave Smith and their four dogs put on an impromptu Frisbee-throwing display in center field. ... After playing 10 innings Friday night at Hudson Valley, the Scrappers drove 412 miles home to play the Doubledays. Auburn entertained Vermont Friday and made the 302-mile drive to Cafaro Field. ... Catcher Victor Martinez, who played for the Scrappers in 1999, was promoted from Buffalo to the Cleveland Indians Friday evening. Martinez started for the Tribe Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds and doubled in four plate appearances and scored a run. ... Pitcher Chad Durbin completed his rehab stint with Mahoning Valley and was assigned to Double-A Akron. Durbin went 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA for the Scrappers. He had elbow surgery last year.
HOW THEY SCORED
FIRST INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 3, AUBURN 1
Doubledays: Juan Peralta homered inside the left-field foul pole. Ryan Roberts struck out. Mike Galloway struck out. Vito Chiaravalloti popped out to second. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left.
Scrappers: Eric Johnson walked, Jesus Colmenter singled Johnson to second. Brad Snyder hit a ground-rule double to center, Johnson scored, Colmenter to third. Ryan Mulhern batting, wild pitch, Colmenter scored, Snyder to third. Mulhern struck out. Kevin Kouzmanoff struck out. Javier Herrera hit an infield single, Snyder scored. Ryan Goleski struck out. 3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
SECOND INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 3, AUBURN 2
Doubledays: A.J. Porfirio singled, Carlo Cota struck out. Eric Kratz singled, Porfirio to second. Christian Snavely singled to load the bases. Jarad Mangioni hit a sacrifice fly to left, Porfirio scored. Peralta struck out. 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 left.
THIRD INNING
AUBURN 4, MAHONING VALLEY 3
Doubledays: Roberts walked, Galloway grounded out back to the pitcher, Roberts to second. Chiaravalloti walked, Porfirio doubled to left, Roberts scored, Chiaravalloti to third. Cota singled, Chiaravalloti scored, Porfirio to third. Kratz hit into a 6-4-3 double play. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
FIFTH INNING
AUBURN 4, MAHONING VALLEY 4
Scrappers: Danny Core pitching. Ceasar Suarez singled, Johnson struck out. Colmenter singled to right, Suarez to third. Snyder hit a sacrifice fly to right, Suarez scored. Mulhern struck out. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
SIXTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 5, AUBURN 4
Scrappers: Kouzmanoff tripled to right, Herrera flied out. Goleski batting, Kouzmanoff scored on a wild pitch. Goleski struck out. Mike Conroy singled to right, Suarez struck out. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
SEVENTH INNING
AUBURN 6, MAHONING VALLEY 5
Doubledays: Ignacio Montano pitching. Peralta singled, Roberts homered over the left-field wall, Peralta scored. Galloway struck out. Chiaravalloti hit by pitch, Porfirio singled, Chiaravalloti to second. Cota walked to load the bases. Kratz flied out. Snavely struck out. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 3 left.
EIGHTH INNING
AUBURN 8, MAHONING VALLEY 5
Doubledays: Mangioni flied out. Peralta singled, Roberts walked, Peralta to second. Shane Wallace pitching. Galloway walked to load the bases, Chiaravalloti hit by pitch, Peralta scored, Roberts to third, Galloway to second. Porfirio hit a sacrifice fly, Roberts scored. Cota struck out. 2 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 left.
NINTH INNING
AUBURN 9, MAHONING VALLEY 5
Doubledays: Kratz homered over the left-field wall, Snavely struck out. Mangioni singled, Peralta flied out to right, Roberts struck out. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
Scrappers: Suarez flied out to right. Johnson tripled, Colmenter grounded out to second, Johnson scored. Snyder walked, Mulhern struck out. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left.