Scrappers shut out Jammers

Fernando Pacheco led theway in the 5-0 win, theirthird straight.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- With two strikes against him, Fernando Pacheco has heeded the advice of his coaches.
And because of that attentiveness, he's beginning to see results with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
Pacheco, a first baseman batting just .206 going into Tuesday's game, had two clutch hits and three RBIs to lead Mahoning Valley past Jamestown 5-0 at Eastwood Field.
"They teach us here that with two strikes, just choke up [on the bat] and make contact," Pacheco explained. "Go with the pitch and drive it."
Pacheco's effort at the plate led the Scrappers (25-27) to their third straight win and kept alive some hope of a New York-Penn League playoff berth.
Missed opportunities
The Scrappers stranded runners in scoring position in four of the first five innings. Frustration started to mount in the fourth when Wyatt Toregas was thrown out at home attempting to score on a ground ball.
"We weren't waiting for our pitch," Pacheco said. "They [Jamestown pitchers] were doing their job by making us swing at their pitches. As the game went on, we were patient."
It wasn't until the sixth inning that Mahoning Valley finally came through, thanks to Pacheco, a native Californian.
"I've been working with my hitting coach, Jim Rickon," Pacheco said, "and I've been taking it from the [batting] cage to the game. It's working."
With Toregas on second following a Jamestown error and an 0-2 count, Pacheco hit a soft single to left to score the winning run and make a winner out of reliever Mark Jecmen (2-1).
"It's good to see guys at the bottom of the order come around a little bit," Scrappers manager Mike Sarbaugh said of Pacheco, the eighth batter. "Everybody can feed off that."
The Scrappers made amends in the eighth inning for their missed opportunities by scoring four runs. Pacheco hit a two-run double to left center, and Chris Clem, the ninth batter, singled to drive home two more.
"[Brett] Parker had a couple of calls that were iffy," Pacheco said of the batter before him. "I was like, 'If that's going to be me, I have to be swinging.'
"I just choked up with two strikes again and drove it up the middle."
Mound warriors
The Scrappers used six pitchers against the Jammers (17-32), led by starter Justin Hoyman, the Cleveland Indians' second-round draft pick who made his professional debut.
Hoyman, who pitched two innings, was followed to the mound by Richard De Los Santos, Jecmen, Roger Lincoln, Scott Roehl and Hector Santana.
They helped Mahoning Valley notch its second shutout of the season, while Pacheco helped put the Scrappers over the top.
"I didn't start as good, but I'm going to try to finish strong," Pacheco said of the season. "I always like finishing strong."
JAMESTOWNSCRAPPERS
abrhbiabrhbi
Pietro cf3000Reyes cf4010
Cleveland 2b4010Finegan ss4000
Fulton ss4010Gimenez lf4000
Restko 1b4010Butia dh4110
Sewell lf3000Toregas c1200
Gaston rf3010Montgmry rf4110
Carroll 3b3000Parker 3b4010
Wyman dh3000Pacheco 1b4123
Davis c2000Clem2b4012
Totals29040Totals33575
Jamestown000000000--0
Scrappers00000104x--5
E--Carroll 2, Parker. DP--Scrappers 1. LOB--Jammers 9, Scrappers 9. 2B--Pacheco. SH--Carroll. SB--Reyes. CS--Davis, Finegan.
IPHRERBBSO
Jamestown
Baxter410042
Barone L, 1-4321003
Yourkin144413
Scrappers
Hoyman220010
De Los Santos300023
Jecmen W, 2-11 1-310011
Lincoln2-300011
Roehl110001
Santana100011
WP--Baxter. HBP--by Baxter (Toregas). PB--Toregas. Umpires--Home, Gerald Ascani; Bases, Jason Arends. T--2:49. A--3,069.
HOW THEY SCORED
SIXTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 1, JAMESTOWN 0
Scrappers: Daniel Barone pitching. Wyatt Toregas reached on an error by the third baseman, advanced to second. Tim Montgomery struck out. Brett Parker struck out. Fernando Pacheco singled to left, Toregas scored. Chris Clem struck out. 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 left.
EIGHTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 5, JAMESTOWN 0
Scrappers: Matt Yourkin pitching. Mike Butia singled to center, Toregas walked, Butia to second. Montgomery singled in the infield to load the bases, Butia to third, Toregas to second. Parker struck out. Pacheco doubled to left center, Butia, Toregas scored, Montgomery to third. Clem singled to left, Montgomery, Pacheco scored. Argenis Reyes struck out. Brian Finegan struck out. 4 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
richesson@vindy.com