Monday, June 30, 2003
The Scrappers recorded 18 hits while snapping a three-game losing streak.
& lt;a href=mailto:richesson@vindy.com & gt;By BRIAN RICHESSON & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- Striking out one day. Breaking out the next.
Ryan Mulhern's roller-coaster weekend for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers culminated Sunday at Cafaro Field.
One night after striking out four times, Mulhern made amends by doubling twice in the Scrappers' 14-6 victory over the Auburn Doubledays.
Mulhern went 0-for-5 against Auburn pitching in a 9-6 loss Saturday night.
"I wasn't seeing the ball too well, and I didn't feel comfortable in the box," said Mulhern, of Highlands Ranch, Colo. "I was getting pitches to hit, but I was fouling them off."
Quick recovery
The former University of South Alabama standout, the school's all-time home run leader, wouldn't allow his slump to extend any longer.
"If you think about [the strikeouts], it can be tough. That's baseball," Mulhern said. "You can't live on your past at-bats. You just have to put it behind you and go get it."
The first baseman/designated hitter doubled in his first at-bat Sunday, in the second inning, doubled again in the fifth and scored a team-high three runs as the Scrappers handed Auburn only its second loss this season.
"With the ability he has, I don't think it's tough" for him to come back from a poor night, Scrappers manager Ted Kubiak said.
Mulhern, an 11th-round draft pick by the Cleveland Indians, came into the game tied with Ryan Goleski for the team lead in doubles (5), but took over sole possession and moved up the New York-Penn League statistical charts.
"It's fun. It's different. You have to get used to playing every day," Mulhern said of his adjustment to professional baseball. "It's not like college where you have a three-game series, then a few days off."
Balanced attack
Mulhern's performance was just one of many offensive highlights for the Scrappers (7-6), who recorded 18 hits while snapping a three-game losing streak.
"It's nice to beat these guys [Auburn] again. It's only their second loss," Kubiak stressed. "But I'm more pleased that we did what we wanted to do against them.
"Hopefully it will prove to our guys that we know what we're talking about," Kubiak said. "It will give us [coaches] more credibility."
Eric Johnson had four singles; Kevin Kouzmanoff walked three times and singled twice; and Ceasar Suarez added three singles for Mahoning Valley.
"I was feeling more relaxed today and confident at the plate," Johnson said. "Guys were being more patient and getting their pitch to drive."
The Scrappers finished the game by scoring six runs in the eighth inning. Mike Conroy capped the inning with a bases-loaded triple, arriving at third base with an aggressive dive.
"We were just hot throughout the whole game," Mulhern said. "We weren't just getting a hit here or there. We were stringing hits together, getting baserunners and being patient."
AUBURNMAHONING VALLEY
abrhbiabrhbi
Peralta 2b3111Johnson dh5141
Roberts 3b5011Colmenter ss4223
Hill ss4121Snyder cf3100
Johnston 1b5121Mulhern 1b3322
Porfirio cf5000Kouzmnff 3b2221
Richmond dh5010Goleski rf4211
Galloway rf3231Chauncey c5121
Kratz c5010Conroy lf5123
Snavely lf3111Suarez 2b5131
Totals386126Totals36141813
Auburn121000011--6
Mahoning Valley03002216x--14
E--Suarez, Goleski, Colmenter, Kouzmanoff. DP--Auburn 2, Mahoning Valley 2. LOB--Auburn 11, Mahoning Valley 7. 3B--Conroy. 2B--Mulhern 2, Johnston 2, Kratz, Hill. SB--Galloway, Snavely, Mulhern, Johnson. SH--Snyder. SF--Colmenter, Peralta, Mulhern.
IPHRERBBSO
Auburn
Mastny463312
Vermilyea L, 3-1274401
Reed111120
James1-334410
Harper2-312221
Mahoning Valley
Burton3 1-374424
Davis W, 1-21 2-300001
Hanson200001
Rich121100
Casey131102
WP--Burton, James. Balk--Burton, Mastny. HBP--by Davis (Hill), by Davis (Galloway), by Rich (Snavely). Umpires--Daniel Belino, home; Bill Sorochan, bases. T--3:33. A--3,101.
HOW THEY SCORED
FIRST INNING
AUBURN 1, MAHONING VALLEY 0
Doubledays: T.J. Burton pitching. Juan Peralta singled in the infield, advanced to second on a balk. Ryan Roberts struck out. Peralta advanced to third on a wild pitch. Aaron Hill singled in the infield, Peralta scored. Clint Johnston reached on an error by the second baseman, Hill to second. A.J. Porfirio grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. 1 run, 2 hits, 1 error, 1 left.
SECOND INNING
AUBURN 3, MAHONING VALLEY 3
Doubledays: Burton pitching. Paul Richmond struck out. Mike Galloway walked, stole second. Erik Kratz struck out. Christian Snavely singled to left, Galloway scored. Snavely stole second. Peralta walked, Roberts singled to left, Snavely scored, Peralta to third, Roberts to second. Hill flied out to right. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left.
Scrappers: Tom Mastny pitching. Ryan Mulhern doubled down the right-field line, Kevin Kouzmanoff singled to right, Mulhern to third, Kouzmanoff to second. Ryan Goleski singled to left, Mulhern scored, Kouzmanoff to third. Clint Chauncey struck out. Kouzmanoff scored on a balk, Goleski to second. Mike Conroy flied out to left. Ceasar Suarez singled to left, Goleski to third, Suarez to second. Eric Johnson singled to left, Goleski scored, Suarez tagged out in a rundown. 3 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
THIRD INNING
AUBURN 4, MAHONING VALLEY 3
Doubledays: Burton pitching. Johnston doubled to right, Porfirio grounded out back to the pitcher. Richmond singled to center, Johnston to third. Galloway singled to right, Johnston scored, Richmond to third on an error by the right-fielder. Kratz struck out. Galloway called out on batter's interference on steal attempt. 1 run, 3 hits, 1 error, 1 left.
FIFTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 5, AUBURN 4
Scrappers: Jamie Vermilyea pitching. Johnson singled to left, Jesus Colmenter hit into a fielder's choice, Johnson out at second. Brad Snyder bunted to sacrifice Colmenter to second. Mulhern doubled to right center, Colmenter scored. Kouzmanoff singled to center, Mulhern scored. Goleski struck out. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
SIXTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 7, AUBURN 4
Scrappers: Vermilyea pitching. Chauncey singled to left, Conroy singled to left, Chauncey to second. Suarez singled to right, Chauncey scored, Conroy to second. Johnson singled to right, Conroy to third, Suarez to second. Colmenter hit a sacrifice fly to right, Conroy scored, Suarez to third. Snyder hit into a 4-6-3 double play. 2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
SEVENTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 8, AUBURN 4
Scrappers: Brian Reed pitching. Mulhern walked, stole second. Kouzmanoff walked. Goleski hit into a 6-4-3 double play, Mulhern to third. Chauncey singled to right, Mulhern scored. Conroy grounded out to third. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left.
EIGHTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 14, AUBURN 5
Doubledays: Dan Rich pitching. Galloway singled to right, Kratz doubled to left, Galloway to third. Snavely hit by pitch to load the bases. Peralta hit a sacrifice fly to right, Galloway scored. Roberts hit into a double play. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
Scrappers: Justin James pitching. Suarez singled to left, Johnson singled to right, Suarez to third. Johnson stole second. Colmenter singled to right, Suarez, Johnson scored, Colmenter to second on the throw, to third on a wild pitch. Snyder walked, Mulhern hit a sacrifice fly to center, Colmenter scored. Jeremy Harper pitching. Kouzmanoff walked, Snyder to second. Goleski walked to load the bases, Snyder to third, Kouzmanoff to second. Chauncey struck out. Conroy tripled to center, Snyder, Kouzmanoff, Goleski scored. Suarez grounded out to short. 6 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
NINTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 14, AUBURN 6
Doubledays: Reid Casey pitching. Hill doubled to left, Johnston doubled to right, Hill scored. Porfirio struck out. Richmond lined out to second. Galloway singled to left, Johnston to third. Kratz struck out. 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 left.
& lt;a href=mailto:richesson@vindy.com & gt;richesson@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;