Scrappers end losing skid with doubleheader split

By BILL SULLIVAN
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- Juan Lara picked the perfect moment to register his first win of the season for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
The Scrappers (16-21) dropped the first game of a doubleheader to the Williamsport Crosscutters, 5-4 in nine innings Thursday, and assigned Lara (1-1) the daunting task of trying to snap a team-record 11-game losing streak.
All Lara, a native of the Dominican Republic, did was to throw a one-hitter with no walks and seven strikeouts over the first six innings as the Scrappers prevailed over Williamsport (24-11), 8-1.
Lara retired 18 of the 21 batters he faced and allowed just one Crosscutter to reach second base.
"He was outstanding," Scrapper manager Ted Kubiak said of Lara.
"It was a good way to break out of it, the way we hit the ball, too. He pitched well. He had a big breaking ball that was good. It was breaking pretty big."
Early start
The Scrappers opened the game with four straight extra-base hits to chase the Williamsport starter after just nine pitches, trailing 4-0.
The crowd of 4,452 could sense the team had completed a metamorphosis between games, a dramatic change being personified by Lara.
Through a translator he said it was his best performance of the season. He felt his slider and change up were particularly effective.
"And the fastball was pumping," Lara said.
Lara struck out the side in the third inning and didn't yield his first base hit -- a ball that bounced through the infield -- until the fourth frame.
Lara, who sprinted on the field to start the sixth inning, said he wanted to get his first win.
"I wanted to win my game," he said. "I was all excited to get it. I hope we keep winning. I want to lift the team and hope we keep it up."
Earlier this week Kubiak sensed the Scrappers might be out of their funk and may be poised to get back on track.
"They broke out of it in good style," Kubiak said. "They've been fine, attitude-wise.
"They just went through a bad period. I saw more zip with all of them -- a little more life, if you want to call it that -- in the last 3-4 games."
Although the 11-game losing streak has the team 13 games out of first place, a healthy attitude might become contagious.
"It's been coming," Kubiak said. "Good pitching definitely helps.
"I think their frame of mind is good. I think you can see they're happy that it's over but it's not elation. There's probably big relief, more than anything."
First game
In the opener Paul Rigdon threw well and exited with a 2-1 lead after five innings.
The Scrappers scored twice in the second inning when Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a 370-foot homer to right.
A two-run seventh, keyed by Mike Conroy's RBI single, tied it at 4.
Kouzmanoff led off the eighth with his fourth hit but he was stranded on second and the Crosscutters scored the game-winner in the ninth with a pair of doubles.
WILLIAMSPORTMAHONING VALLEY
abrhbiabrhbi
Morgan cf4011Conroy lf5011
Cockrell 2b4100Colmenter 2b3000
Guzman ss4000Kouzmanoff 3b4142
Chance rf4110Goleski rf4000
Madrid 1b4130Garko c4010
Holmes pr0100Snyder cf3120
Brown 1b0000Noviskey 1b4110
Boeve dh3000Threinen dh3000
Bocchino lf4020Luneta ss3010
Stansberry 3b4120
McCuistion c4000
Totals35595Totals33493
Williamsport001003001--5
Mahoning Valley002000200--4
E--Kouzmanoff 2. DP--Scrappers 1. LOB--Crosscutters 4, Scrappers 6. HR--Madrid. 2B--Madrid, Bocchino, Noviskey. SB--Stansberry. CS--Morgan, Colmenter, Kouzmanoff, Snyder.
IPHRERBBSO
Williamsport
Maholm332223
Hernandez210002
Tower1.132211
DeMaria0.210000
Bimeal W 1-1210011
Mahoning Valley
Rigdon551102Hanson223000Rich L 0-1221103
WP--Bimeal HBP--by DeMaria (Threinen) Umpires--John Gelatt (bases); Tyler Funneman (home). T--2:40.
WILLIAMSPORTMAHONING VALLEY
abrhbiabrhbi
Morgan cf2000Conroy lf3120
Bocchino dh3000Colmenter 2b4121
Guzman 2b3010Goleski rf4111
Chance rf3000Garko dh3110
Brown 1b2000Snyder cf1211
Arbinger lf3110Noviskey 1b2111
Stansberry 3b3011Chauncey c3122
Harris ss3000Suarez 3b3011
Reyes c2000Luneta ss2001
Totals24131Totals258118
Williamsport0000001--1
Mahoning Valley401003x--8
E--Suarez. LOB--Crosscutters 4, Scrappers 4. 3B--Arbinger; Conroy; Snyder. 2B--Colmenter; Goleski; Garko. SH--Morgan. SF--Snyder; Noviskey; Luneta.
IPHRERBBSO
Williamsport
Nunez L 4-3044400
Bayer531101
Kiley143320
Mahoning Valley
Lara W 1-1610007Casey121102
WP--Kiley. HBP--by Lara (Brown). Umpires--John Gelatt (bases); Tyler Funneman (home). A--1:50.