NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE Scrappers end tailspin, top Spinners 4-2

By STEVE MYRICK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
LOWELL, Mass. -- The Mahoning Valley Scrappers' Class A baseball team is learning some valuable lessons early in this New York-Penn League season.
Among them is an age-old maxim that applies to baseball and just about everything else -- it's a lot easier to play when you are ahead.
The Scrappers generated some extra-base offense early and protected the lead the rest of the way Thursday in defeating the Lowell Spinners 4-2 for their first road win which also ended a four-game losing streak.
Wyatt Toregas sparked the offense with three extra-base hits, an RBI and two runs scored. One of those hits was a tape-measure home run in the fourth inning which gave the Scrappers a two-run lead.
"It was a fastball up and in," Toregas said. "I saw it right out of his hand. I recognized it early and put a good swing on it. I was sitting fastball."
Toregas has had an eventful start to his pro career. Though he entered the game with a .188 batting average, this was his second home run and his fifth RBI in five games. The first homer was a grand slam.
Long ball
Lowell (3-4) got the scoring started in the second inning when slugging first baseman Heriberto Guzman led off with a towering, wind-blown home run to left field.
But Scrappers (3-4) starter Dan Cevette (1-0) contained the damage and kept the Spinners off-balance the rest of the way by spotting his fastball inside and outside while mixing in an effective change-up.
"Nothing added up to give them any big innings, which is a big deal for me -- staying away from the big inning," said Cevette, who scattered seven hits in 52/3 innings.
"Dan really established the inside of the plate," said Toregas, who handled the catching duties. "We started going away later. We scored some runs early to back him up; he was relaxed out there. Pitching with the lead is a lot easier. We got him the lead, and he did the rest himself."
Spinner starter Harvey Garcia had a rocky third inning. Toregas opened with a four-pitch walk, Argenis Reyes followed with an infield single off Garcia's glove, and both runners advanced when the Lowell right-hander threw a wild pitch to the next hitter, Brian Finegan.
Finegan then sent a hard grounder back to the mound where Garcia knocked it down with his throwing hand. Garcia recovered and threw home, catching Toregas in a rundown for the first out.
Loaded
Garcia then plunked Chris Gimenez in the middle of the back, loading the bases.
On four pitches, Garcia promptly walked Tim Montgomery, forcing Reyes from third.
A terrific defensive play prevented Mahoning Valley from breaking the game wide open. Mike Butia was robbed when Spinners third baseman Andrew Pinckney, who dove for a ball down the line, jumped up and made an unassisted put-out at third. Finegan scored on the play to give the Scrappers a 2-1 lead.
The Spinners made things a little tight in the sixth inning. Eric Pinckney led off with a single, and scored on a close play at the plate when Erich Cloninger hit a sharp single to center.
Scrappers manager Mike Sarbaugh lifted the tiring Cevette in favor of right-hander Chip Southerland. The Scrappers got out of the inning when Toregas bobbled a pitch in the dirt, then threw out Cloninger trying to advance to third.
Coming home
Toregas led off the next inning with a searing double to the gap in right center field and scored his second run of the game when Gimenez sent another double to left center.
Toregas, hitting ninth in the batting order, capped off his 3-for-3 evening with a double down the right-field line in the top of the ninth.
"He's been swinging the bat pretty good," Sarbaugh said. "It's good to have a guy like that toward the bottom of your line-up, to generate some offense."
Sarbaugh also had high praise for his defense and his relievers. Southerland and Mark Harris combined for 21/3 innings of no-hit relief.
MAHONING VALLEYLOWELL
abrhbiabrhbi
Reyes 2b5110Van Der Bos dh4010
Finegan ss5100Evans lf3010
Gimenez lf3011Curtis 2b4010
Butia dh3011Pinckney 3b4110
Montgomery cf3001Guzman 1b4111
Cruz cf1000De La Cruz rf4000
Encarnacion rf3010Cloninger c3011
Clem 3b4000Williams cf4010
Pacheco 1b4000Ramos ss3000
Toregas c3231
Totals34474Totals33272
Mahoning Valley002100100--4
Lowell010001000--2
E--Ramos. DP--Spinners 1. LOB--Scrappers 7, Spinners 6. HR--Toregas, Guzman. 2B--Gimenez, Toregas 2, Van Der Bosc.
IPHRERBBSO
Mahoning Valley
Cevette W, 1-05.272216
Southerland1.100001
Harris S, 1200010
Lowell
Garcia L, 0-1433331
Beam321101
James220001
WP--Garcia 2, Beam, James. HBP--by Garcia (Gimenez). PB--Cloninger. Umpires--Home, Howard Perez; Bases, Phil Mulroe. T--2:26. A--5,000.