NY-PENN LEAGUE Turning trial to triumph

Mike Conroy hit a game-winning triple to lead the Scrappers to a 6-5 win.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- It was after Mike Conroy failed that he learned how to succeed.
The Mahoning Valley Scrappers' outfielder labored through a trying 2002 season, in which countless frustrating days resulted in a .186 batting average.
Fast forward one year. Conroy, 20, is back at Mahoning Valley, but this time he's showing how much of a complete hitter he's starting to become.
"It was almost like a positive year last year," Conroy said. "Some people might look at that as a negative. But I went with it and turned it into a positive."
Standing out
A Massachusetts native who was drafted out of high school in 2001, Conroy has been impressing the Cleveland Indians brass this season.
Scrappers manager Ted Kubiak has raved about the young talent's progress and desire to learn.
"He's changed his mechanics a little bit, but I think he's gotten some confidence because of those changes," Kubiak said. "That's his own effort, and it's nice to see somebody respond to what they're being told."
Conroy responded again Thursday at Cafaro Field as he hit a bases-loaded single in the 11th inning of the Scrappers' 6-5 victory over the Oneonta Tigers.
The Scrappers' second straight win in extra innings was their third overall, and it kept them within four games of Pinckney Division leader Auburn.
Loaded bases
With Jesus Colmenter on third and Anthony Lunetta on second, Oneonta (14-8) intentionally walked Ryan Mulhern to load the bases for the Scrappers (14-9).
Conroy welcomed the opportunity.
"I've learned how to deal with that kind of situation a lot better," Conroy said. "A year or two ago, I would have been real tense and putting a lot of pressure on myself."
After he laced a first-pitch fastball from Oneonta's Ezequiel Perez up the middle, Conroy hopped up and down past first base. He was greeted in celebration by Scrappers catcher Clint Chauncey.
"I just let it happen," Conroy said of the key at-bat. "All the pressure's on the pitcher at that time. He's got to throw a strike."
Conroy, who also doubled in the third inning, drove home his team-leading 20th RBI of the season. He credits his play this season to Scrappers hitting coach Jim Rickon.
"He was here last year, and he's been working with me ever since spring training this year," Conroy said. "He knows my swing better than I do, and he's always putting positive thoughts in my head."
Suarez's hot bat
Before Conroy took center stage on a wet night at Cafaro Field, Scrappers third baseman Ceasar Suarez had become the hitting highlight.
Suarez singled twice and tripled in his first three plate appearances. His triple in the fourth inning bounced off the right-field wall, only 2 feet from going over it.
"This last road trip, to Vermont, I started to feel better" at the plate, Suarez said. "I'm more selective and more focused.
"Teddy [Kubiak] has been very good to me," Suarez said. "He's taught me to calm down [at the plate] and be mature."
Only 19, Suarez is adjusting to life in the United States; he played last year in the Dominican Summer League and had been released by the New York Yankees organization.
"The pitchers here are smart. They know what to throw to you," Suarez said of baseball in the U.S. "In the Dominican League, they throw hard, but they're not too smart."
Suarez is valuable to the Indians organization, Kubiak said, because of his athleticism and versatility on defense.
ONEONTAMAHONING VALLEY
abrhbiabrhbi
McIntyre 2b5110Colmenter 2b5111
Doyle ss1200Lunetta ss5020
KIrkland 3b5033Mulhern 1b4000
Huddleston c5000Conroy lf4021
McKinney lf5000Goleski rf4100
Ford dh5110Snyder cf4210
McGorty 1b5110Noviskey dh4011
Brown rf5032Chauncey c3200
Blue cf5010Suarez 3b5033
Totals415105Totals386106
Oneonta10101101000--5
Mahoning Valley02010200001--6
None out when winning run scored.
E--Huddleston. DP--Mahoning Valley 1. LOB--Mahoning Valley 13, Oneonta 8. 3B--Suarez, Brown. 2B--Kirkland 2, Conroy, Ford, McGorty. SB--Doyle, McIntyre, Snyder. CS--McIntyre, Conroy.
IPHRERBBSO
Oneonta
Tata553333
Tomey322224
Perez L, 0-2231142
Mahoning Valley
Burton543342
Pereyra231112
Weaver121100
Wallace W, 1-1310004
WP--Perez. HBP--by Tomey (Chauncey). Umpires--Pat Harrington, home; Manny Gonzalez, bases. T--3:12. A--3,340.
HOW THEY SCORED
FIRST INNING
ONEONTA 1, MAHONING VALLEY 0
Tigers: T.J. Burton pitching. Nick McIntyre walked, caught stealing second. Nate Doyle walked, Kody Kirkland doubled to left, Doyle scored. Robert Huddleston hit into a fielder's choice, Kirkland out at third. Garth McKinney flied out to right. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left.
SECOND INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 2, ONEONTA 1
Scrappers: Jordan Tata pitching. Mike Conroy grounded out to second. Ryan Goleski walked, Brad Snyder walked, Goleski to second. Josh Noviskey singled up the middle, Goleski scored, Snyder to second. Clint Chauncey struck out. Ceasar Suarez singled up the middle, Snyder scored, Noviskey to second. Jesus Colmenter hit into a fielder's choice, Suarez out at second. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left.
THIRD INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 2, ONEONTA 2
Scrappers: Burton pitching. Vince Blue flied out to left. McIntyre struck out. Doyle walked, stole second. Kirkland singled to right, Doyle scored. Huddleston grounded out to second. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left.
FOURTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 3, ONEONTA 2
Scrappers: Tata pitching. Snyder grounded out to first. Noviskey flied out to center. Chauncey walked, Suarez tripled to right field, Chauncey scored. Colmenter grounded out to short. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left.
FIFTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 3, ONEONTA 3
Tigers: Burton pitching. Curtis Brown struck out. Blue flied out to right. McIntyre singled up the middle, stole second. Doyle walked, Kirkland doubled to left, McIntyre scored, Doyle to third. Huddleston grounded out to short. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left.
SIXTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 5, ONEONTA 4
Tigers: Honeudis Pereyra pitching. McKinney lined out to short. Ford doubled to right, McGorty struck out. Brown singled to center, Ford scored. Blue singled to right, Brown to second. McIntyre struck out. 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 left.
Scrappers: Anthony Tomey pitching. Snyder singled to right, stole second. Noviskey struck out. Chauncey hit by pitch, Suarez singled to center, Snyder scored, Chauncey to third, Suarez advanced to second on the throw. Colmenter grounded out to short, Chauncey scored, Suarez advanced to third. Anthony Lunetta flied out to short. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
EIGHTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 5, ONEONTA 5
Tigers: Joe Weaver pitching. McKinney grounded out to second. Ford flied out to right. McGorty doubled to left, Brown tripled to right center, McGorty scored. Blue lined out to right. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
11TH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 6, ONEONTA 5
Scrappers: Ezequiel Perez pitching. Colmenter singled to right, Lunetta singled in the infield, Colmenter to second. Error on the catcher advanced Colmenter to third, Lunetta to second. Mulhern intentionally walked to load the bases. Conroy singled up the middle, Colmenter scored the game-winner. 1 run, 3 hits, 1 error, 3 left.
richesson@vindy.com