NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE Scrappers make it two in a row

Fernando Pacheco drove in the winning run for a 2-1 victory over Auburn.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- A broken-bat single by Fernando Pacheco in the bottom of the ninth inning drove home the winning run, as the Mahoning Valley Scrappers won their second straight game, beating the Auburn Doubledays 2-1 before 3,700 fans Saturday at Eastwood Field.
"When you have a good pitching game like we had tonight on both sides, you have to find a way to score," said Scrappers manager Mike Sarbaugh. "We got some runners on and then hoped we could get some big hits."
The Scrappers (2-0) led 1-0 going into the top of the ninth inning, but reliever Roger Lincoln gave up a game-tying home run to Jarad Mangioni to set up the bottom-of-the-ninth heroics.
The Scrappers scored both of their runs without getting the ball out of the infield.
They used two infield singles and an Auburn error to score the game's first run in the sixth. Then in the ninth they loaded the bases on a hit batsman, an intentional walk and an error, before Pacheco ended the game with a grounder that got past the Doubledays' drawn-in infield.
Still learning about team
Sarbaugh said he isn't surprised by the team's quick start because he doesn't know much about it yet.
"I really didn't know what to expect," he said. "We got some guys who have only been around here a couple of days and I'm only familiar with the 12 or 13 players who came up with us from Florida."
The Scrappers had some outstanding plays behind their pitchers defensively, with a pair of double plays, while right fielder Teo Encarnacion made a nice diving catch of a fly ball in the second inning.
"In a tight game like this, you have to make those plays and we did," said Sarbaugh.
Auburn starter Brad Mumma pitched a no-hitter at the Scrappers through the first five innings, while Mahoning Valley starter Dan Cevette allowed just three hits in shutting out the Doubledays through five.
In the sixth inning Jose Cruz led off with a single for the Scrappers and was sacrificed to second by Omar Casillas. Argenis Reyes then hit a short chopper that Mumma muffed trying to field as Cruz went to third.
Run comes in
Chris Clem then hit an infield single on a high hopper to short as Cruz scored on the play.
Matt Knox relieved Cevette in the sixth and breezed through two innings. He got into trouble in the eighth and was relieved by Lincoln, who pitched out of a bases-loaded jam.
In the ninth, after striking out Eric Nielsen to open the inning, Lincoln served up a big pitch to Mangioni, who promptly dumped it into the Scrappers bullpen in right field.
"We got some great pitching tonight from all three of our guys," Sarbaugh said. "Roger had one bad pitch that he hung up there, but he had just pitched out of a tough jam the inning before."
Control trouble
Auburn brought in hard-throwing Dewon Day in the bottom of the ninth, but he had control trouble. He hit Clem to open the inning and after a passed ball put Clem on second, he intentionally walked Brett Parker.
Encarnacion hit a sacrifice bunt to Day, who threw wildly to third base, and the bases were loaded with nobody out.
Chris Gimenez grounded back to Day, who threw home to get Clem for the first out, but with a full count to Pacheco, the San Ysidro, Calif., native broke his bat in half and hit a grounder that got past Jermy Acey.
The two teams will meet today in the final game of the series at 2 p.m. at Eastwood Field.
AUBURNMAHONING VALLEY
abrhbiabrhbi
Mathews lf4010Reyes dh4000
Acey 2b3000Clem 2b3011
Esposito 3b3010Parker 3b3100
Metropoulos dh3000Encarnacion rf3000
Corrente c3000Gimenez lf4000
Nielsen lf4000Pacheco 1b3011
Mangioni rf3121Finegan ss3010
Cannon 1b4010Cruz cf3110
Macaluso ss4000Casillas c2000
Totals31151Totals28242
Auburn000000001--1
Mahoning Valley000001001--2
E--Mumma, Day, Encarnacion. DP--Doubledays 2, Scrappers 2. LOB--Doubledays 8, Scrappers 6. HR--Mangioni. 2B--Finegan. SH--Casillas.
IPHRERBBSO
Auburn
Mumma 621022
Leonard210002
Day L, 0-11-311110
Mahoning Valley
Cevette 530017
Knox 2 1-310022
Lincoln W, 1-01 2-311112
HBP--by Cevette (Mangioni), by Day (Clem). PB--Corrente. Umpires--Home, Tom Clark; Bases, Victor Carapazza. T--2:20. A--3,709.
HOW THEY SCORED
SIXTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 1, AUBURN 0
Scrappers: Brad Mumma pitching. Jose Cruz reached on an infield single to shortstop, Omar Casillas sacrificed Cruz to second, Argenis Reyes reached on an error by Mumma, Cruz to third. Chris Clem hit an infield single to shortstop, Cruz scored, Reyes to second. Brett Parker hit into a double play, 6-4-3. 1 run, 2 hits, 1 error, 1 left.
NINTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 1, AUBURN 1
Doubledays: Roger Lincoln pitching. Eric Nielsen struck out. Jarad Mangioni hit a home run over the right-field fence. Chip Cannon grounded to first. Mike Macaluso grounded to shortstop. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left.
MAHONING VALLEY 2, AUBURN 1
Scrappers: Dewon Day pitching. Clem was hit by a pitch and went to second on passed ball. Parker was intentionally walked. Teo Encarnacion hit a sacrifice bunt that Day threw wildly to third base, Clem to third, Parker to second. Chris Gimenez grounded to the pitcher, Clem out at home, Parker to third, Encarnacion to second. Fernando Pacheco singled past second base, Parker scored. 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 3 left.
mollica@vindy.com