NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE Niesel's impressive outing keys Scrappers' 7-3 victory

The former Notre Dame pitcher is excelling at Class A baseball.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- Under the hot Ohio sun, Chris Niesel felt at home with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
"It was a hot day," he said. "Coming from Florida, I'm used to those hot days. I was able to get loose real fast."
And it showed.
The right-handed pitcher from Plantation, Fla., continued his strong first year in professional baseball by tossing five shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out five.
Niesel's third impressive performance of the season led Mahoning Valley past Batavia 7-3 Sunday at Eastwood Field.
"I was able to get ahead of guys, throw a lot of strikes and make the guys put the ball in play," said Niesel, a former Notre Dame standout, who has allowed one earned run and three hits in 13 1/3 innings (0.69 ERA).
Top guns
Niesel and left-hander Dan Cevette (3-0, 1.67) have clearly established themselves as the Scrappers' (10-13) top starters.
Cevette, a third-year pro from Elkland, Pa., beat Batavia on Saturday before Niesel followed Sunday by earning his first professional victory.
"I didn't think his [Niesel's] breaking ball was as sharp as it had been," Scrappers manager Mike Sarbaugh said, "but he just knows how to pitch. He can spot his fastball, and he keeps the hitters off-balance."
The Muckdogs forced Niesel into working a bit harder Sunday. He had to escape a bases-loaded jam in the third inning by utilizing 25 of his 68 pitches.
"I told myself that I really had to bear down and get out of this," said Niesel, who walked two. "I knew if I could get out of it and come back and throw a couple of good innings, we could basically put them away."
Credit the Scrappers' offense for that.
Hits in bunches
"We strung our hits together today; usually we're spacing them out," Scrappers infielder Chris Clem said. "Today, when there were runners on, guys were hitting."
A season of struggles at the plate came to an end -- at least for one day. Mahoning Valley had 12 hits, including four for extra bases.
Symbolizing the Scrappers' turnaround was Clem, whose .177 average placed him in a funk that required special attention in the batting cages.
"I've been doing a lot of extra work with the coaches," Clem said. "I guess I got my pitch and I didn't miss it today."
The 19-year-old native Australian went 3-for-4 with four RBIs against Batavia. He also supplied the game's most dramatic hit, a bases-loaded double that put Mahoning Valley ahead 7-0 in the third inning.
"It's nice to get a big lead and sit back and relax for a little bit," Sarbaugh said. "We've been trying to stress getting the big hits."
Indeed, Clem's was the biggest. His two-out double hit off the short left-field wall, coming ever so close to a grand slam.
"I knew I hit it pretty well, but I didn't think I got all of it because it was a bit too flat," Clem said.
Now, the question begging to be asked is, can the Scrappers use Sunday's game to swing momentum in their favor? They'll find out tonight when they begin a three-game series at Jamestown.
BATAVIAMAHONING VALLEY
abrhbiabrhbi
Gamble lf5010Reyes dh4010
Hardy 2b4210Szabo 2b2010
Frith cf3022Parker pr/3b2100
Norman 1b2000Montgmry cf4000
Isaacson 3b4000Butia lf3121
Shimer dh3001Encarnacion rf4220
Crosland rf4010Finegan ss4111
Orr ss2100Pacheco 1b3221
Karlsen c4000Clem 3b/2b4034
Casillas c4000
Totals31353Totals347127
Batavia000001200--3
Mahoning Valley03400000x--7
E--Karlsen. DP--Batavia 1. LOB--Batavia 9, Mahoning Valley 5. 3B--Szabo. 2B--Finegan, Pacheco, Clem, Hardy. SB--Clem, Gamble, Reyes 2. SF--Shimer.
IPHRERBBSO
Batavia
Baldwin L, 0-2497702
Johnson220000
Rose110012
Santander100010
Mahoning Valley
Niesel W, 1-0520025
Santana001130
Jecmen222212
Lincoln210000
HBP--by Jecmen (Norman). Umpires--Home, Dan Bellino; Bases, Jason Arends. T--2:24. A--4,065.
HOW THEY SCORED
SECOND INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 3, BATAVIA 0
Scrappers: Andrew Baldwin pitching. Mike Butia grounded out to short. Teo Encarnacion singled to center, Brian Finegan doubled to left center, Encarnacion scored. Fernando Pacheco doubled to left, Finegan scored. Chris Clem singled to left, Pacheco scored. Omar Casillas struck out, Clem stole second and advanced to third on an error by the catcher. Argenis Reyes struck out. 3 runs, 4 hits, 1 error, 1 left.
THIRD INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 7, BATAVIA 0
Scrappers: Baldwin pitching. Marshall Szabo tripled to right, Brett Parker in to pinch run. Tim Montgomery grounded out to third. Butia singled to center, Parker scored. Encarnacion singled to right, Butia to second. Finegan flied out to center. Pacheco singled to right to load the bases, Butia to third, Encarnacion to second. Clem doubled off the left-field wall, Butia, Encarnacion, Pacheco scored, Clem thrown out going to third. 4 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors, 0 left.
SIXTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 7, BATAVIA 1
Muckdogs: Hector Santana pitching. John Hardy walked, Ryan Frith walked, Hardy to second. Zach Norman walked to load the bases, Hardy to third, Frith to second. Mark Jecmen in to pitch. Greg Isaacson struck out. Nick Shimer flied out to left to sacrifice Hardy home. Jason Crosland flied out to left. 1 run, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2 left.
SEVENTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 7, BATAVIA 3
Muckdogs: Jecmen pitching. Samuel Orr walked, Grant Karlsen struck out. Sean Gamble flied out to right. Hardy doubled to right, Orr to third. Frith singled to left, Orr, Hardy scored. Norman hit by pitch, Frith to second. Isaacson hit into a fielder's choice, Norman out at second. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left.
richesson@vindy.com