NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE Scrappers-Auburn rivalry becoming a hit

Scott Roehl led Mahoning Valley to a 9-3 victory over the Doubledays.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- The Mahoning Valley Scrappers' rivalry with Auburn runs deeper than a 15-game season series and numerous exchanged beanballs between the teams.
"There was a rivalry years ago when I was in Watertown, because Houston [the Astros] had good clubs in Auburn," Scrappers manager Ted Kubiak said. "We always seem to battle Auburn."
Watertown was the Cleveland Indians' Class-A affiliate in the New York-Penn League before Mahoning Valley stepped into the picture. Kubiak managed the Watertown Indians from 1996-98.
Although Auburn has been a Toronto Blue Jays affiliate for the past three seasons, nothing has changed on the field when it faces Indians farm teams.
"Now Toronto's in there, and they have good players, too," Kubiak said. "I don't know whether it's a regional thing or a location thing. When good clubs play each other, rivalries occur."
Heating it up
So do heated exchanges on the field, and they continued Monday in the Scrappers' 9-3 victory at Cafaro Field.
In their game June 22, Scrappers batter Eric Johnson was hit in his first two plate appearances. Monday, he got hit again, this time by Auburn's Charles Talanoa, in the third inning.
"Eric's been hit six, seven, eight times already this year," Kubiak said. "I question what that's all about."
With one out in the fourth, Scrappers pitcher Scott Roehl hit Aaron Hill, Toronto's first-round draft choice, in the legs, knocking him out of the game.
"There was no intent there," Roehl said. "The fastball inside just got away from me. It just happens sometimes. The umpire blew it out of proportion."
After Hill was helped off the field, home plate umpire Bill Sorochan stepped in, warning both benches and then Roehl.
"He told me that the president of the league didn't want anything to start," Kubiak said of his discussion with Sorochan after the warning.
"You never know. That's the hardest thing," Kubiak added. "You'd like to think they're not throwing at guys."
Winning No. 1
Roehl, a native of Somers, Wis., made his third start of the season, allowing one earned run on three hits through 51/3 innings to capture his first professional victory.
"I went with my strong point, which is fastballs away," Roehl said. "My slider was working well. It kept them off-balance. I went and got outs, and I had a good defense behind me."
The right-handed Roehl was a reliever at the University of Arkansas, but the Indians have turned him into a starter. He threw 65 pitches against the Doubledays (11-3).
"My arm's not used to throwing that many pitches," Roehl said. "I've made the adjustment well. Hibby [pitching coach Greg Hibbard] has been helping out a lot, keeping my pitch count down and teaching me a lot."
With Roehl and relievers Honeudis Pereyra and Roger Lincoln slowing the league's top offense, Mahoning Valley (8-6) batters broke out for the second straight game.
"We continued what we did last night against them," Kubiak said. "I liked the way they handled themselves, more than anything, tonight. They were well-focused in the game and they did their jobs."
Javier Herrera went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, and Mike Conroy added two hits with three RBIs in the Scrappers' 14-hit attack. Conroy took over the team lead with 13 RBIs.
"Once you get into a groove and your confidence goes up, you feel like you can hit anything," Conroy said.
AUBURNMAHONING VALLEY
abrhbiabrhbi
Peralta 2b/ss5000Johnson dh3111
Roberts 3b3110Colmenter 2b5010
Hill ss1000Mulhern 1b5012
Chiaravallti 1b3122Kouzmanff 3b5110
Porfirio cf1000Snyder cf4110
Richmond dh3011Herrera c4331
Galloway rf4010Goleski rf4221
Kratz c4000Conroy lf4023
Snavely lf3000Lunetta ss4121
Patrick 2b2100
Mangioni ph1000
Totals30353Totals389149
Auburn000003000--3
Mahoning Valley00051030x--9
E--Hill, Mulhern. DP--Mahoning Valley 2. LOB--Mahoning Valley 9, Auburn 7. 2B--Chiaravalloti, Goleski, Mulhern, Kouzmanoff. SH--Porfirio. CS--Snyder.
IPHRERBBSO
Auburn
Talanoa L, 1-13 1-333325
Romero1 2-353312
Reed363304
Mahoning Valley
Roehl W, 1-05 1-332123
Pereyra1 2-321122
Lincoln201111
WP--Romero 2, Pereyra. HBP--by Talanoa (Johnson), by Roehl (Hill). Umpires--Bill Sorochan, home; Daniel Belino, bases. T--2:56. A--3,057.
HOW THEY SCORED
FOURTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 5, AUBURN 0
Scrappers: Charles Talanoa pitching. Kevin Kouzmanoff lined out to center. Brad Snyder walked, Javier Herrera singled to right, Snyder to second. Ryan Goleski doubled to left, Snyder scored, Herrera to third. David Romero pitching. Mike Conroy singled to right, Herrera, Goleski scored. Anthony Lunetta bunted safely. Wild pitch advanced Conroy to third, Lunetta to second. Eric Johnson intentionally walked to load the bases. Jesus Colmenter hit into a fielder's choice, Conroy out at home, Lunetta to third, Johnson to second. Ryan Mulhern doubled to left, Lunetta, Johnson scored, Colmenter to third. Kevin Kouzmanoff grounded out to short. 5 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors, 2 left.
FIFTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 6, AUBURN 0
Scrappers: Romero pitching. Snyder struck out. Herrera singled in the infield, advanced to second on a wild pitch. Goleski struck out. Conroy singled to left, Herrera scored. Lunetta grounded into a fielder's choice, Conroy out at second. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
SIXTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 6, AUBURN 3
Doubledays: Honeudis Pereyra pitching. Juan Peralta struck out. Ryan Roberts walked, Brian Patrick hit into a fielder's choice, Roberts to second on an error by the first baseman. Vito Chiaravalloti doubled to center, Roberts, Patrick scored. A.J. Porfirio walked. A wild pitch advanced Chiaravalloti to third, Porfirio to second. Paul Richmond singled to right, Chiaravalloti scored, Porfirio to third. Mike Galloway struck out. Erik Kratz flied out to center. 3 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 2 left.
SEVENTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 9, AUBURN 3
Scrappers: Brian Reed pitching. Kouzmanoff doubled to center, Snyder grounded out to second, Kouzmanoff to third. Herrera singled to left, Kouzmanoff scored. Goleski singled to left, Herrera to second. Conroy flied out to third. Lunetta singled in the infield, Herrera scored, Goleski to third. Johnson singled to left, Goleski scored, Lunetta to second. Colmenter grounded out to second. 3 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors, 2 left.
richesson@vindy.com