A Scrappers' shutout

By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- The Mahoning Valley Scrappers shut out the Lowell Spinners 8-0 Monday afternoon, and they did it despite making five errors.
The Scrappers got solid pitching and didn't have to go far into their bullpen while pounding out 10 hits, including a three-run home run off the bat of Evandy DeLeon, as they took two out of three games from the Spinners before 2,143 at Eastwood Field.
Obviously the errors didn't hurt the Scrappers, something manager Rouglas Odor made note of following the contest.
"Five errors are a lot, but it just happened that none of them really hurt us and in several cases the player who made the error came right back with the big play right after to get us out of the inning," Odor said.
But the Scrappers pitching was the difference in the contest as starter Joe Ness went the first six innings, allowing just three hits and striking out five batters, to pick up his second victory of the season without a loss.
He twice allowed a runner to reach third base -- both times the runner reached on a Scrappers' error -- but he didn't allow anyone to score.
Excellent relief work
Matt Loberg pitched the final three innings to record his third save. He retired the Spinners in order the first two innings -- although the Scrappers committed an error in each inning, but came back with two double plays to make up for it.
Loberg allowed just one hit, a two-out single by Yammed Yemma in the ninth inning. He struck out three, including two in the ninth.
"Our pitching was outstanding," Odor said. "Ness was just great out there and it was good to see Matt come on and finish off the job. Our bullpen has been overworked of lately and it was good to see those two take control of the game."
Offensively the Scrappers had three players with two hits, including Trevor Mortensen, Boodle Clark and DeLeon.
"Boodle has been struggling at the plate, but he's been working hard at it and he had two big hits today," Odor added. "Mortensen has been really hitting the ball well for us of lately."
DeLeon, hitting ninth in the order, has added some much needed power to the lineup with his second home run of the season.
"He's only 5-10, 170 pounds, but he has very quick wrists and has a lot of power for a little guy," said Odor.
Scoring breakdown
The Scrappers, who went back over the .500 mark at 14-13 on the season, scored their first runs in the third inning on a one-out single by DeLeon, a walk to Mortensen and a two-run single by Matt Fornasiere.
They added two more in the fourth when Omar Casillas led off with a double to left and scored on Cirilo Cumberbatch's grounder to first. Cumberbatch eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by DeLeon.
The Scrappers made it 5-0 in the fifth on a single by Mortensen and a ground rule double to right by Derrick Peterson.
Then in the eighth, after Andy Lytle singled to open the inning and Clark walked, DeLeon hit a towering fly to left that went into the Spinners bullpen for a three-run homer.
The Scrappers go on the road for six straight games, beginning tonight when they open a three-game series with the Hudson Valley Renagades. They visit the Aberdeen Ironbirds and Kennedy Catholic High graduate Nolan Reimold before returning July 25 for a three-game series with the Williamsport Crosscutters.
LOWELLSCRAPPERS
abrhbiabrhbi
Ellsbury cf4000Constanza cf5000
Ramos 2b4010Mortensen dh4220
Lowrie ss3000Fornasiere 2b3012
Mercurio 3b4000Peterson 3b4011
Yema lf4010Casillas c4110
Twomley rf4010Lytle ss4110
Leonard 1b3000Cumbrbtch rf4101
Farkes dh3010Clark 1b3120
Stachowsky c3000DeLeon lf3224
Wagner c0000
Totals32040Totals348108
Lowell000000000--0
Scrappers00221003x--8
E--Leonard, Fornasiere, Peterson, Lytle, Ness. DP--Scrappers 2. LOB--Spinners 6, Scrappers 6. 2B--Peterson, Casillas. HR--DeLeon. SF--DeLeon. SB--Mortensen, Cumberbatch, DeLeon. CS--Clark.
IPHRERBBSO
Lowell
Pena L, 4-2575510
Flores210013
Large123310
Scrappers
Ness W, 2-0 630015
Loberg S, 1310003
WP--Pena. Umpires--Home, Chris Mack; First, Tom Chenshaw. T--2:15. A--2,143.