Scrappers fall again to State College

Mahoning Valley lost for the fourth straight time, dropping a 4-1 contest.
By BILL ALBRIGHT
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Different day, new game, same two teams and unfortunately the same results.
After three straight losses, the last thing the Mahoning Valley Scrappers needed was another frustrating defeat. But that's exactly what they got as they fell 4-1 to the State College Spikes before 3,603 fans at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
"We just couldn't help [pitcher William] Delage. He did another great job," said Scrapper manager Rouglas Odor. "He has been almost untouchable his last four outings and he was doing it again tonight.
"We didn't make a play here and there and they wound up hurting us."
Pitching battle
With Delage and State College starter Kyle Sadlowski matching each other pitch for pitch, the two teams traded runs for a 1-1 tie that held through the fifth inning. Delage worked six innings, allowing just six hits and three runs (two earned). He walked a pair and struck out six.
"When you look at where he was at the beginning of the season, he has done a great job turning things around for himself," said Odor. "Not only tonight, but he has really come on strong."
With Auburn's sweep of Williamsport in a doubleheader, the Scrappers now trail the Doubledays by three games with eight left.
"We need to win ball games. It is as simple as that," Odor said. "We haven't been doing the little things that you need to do to win and that has been hurting us.
"If we can win from now on, we still have a chance.
Great experience
Whether the Scrappers make the playoffs or not, Odor said the experience they are getting is invaluable.
"Let's say we would be out of it. We still need to go out, work hard and play the game the right way," Odor said. "We have to have pride in ourselves and maybe most importantly, we have to respect the game.
"We haven't been playing the way we are capable of, but even with that, we still have a chance to make it."
The Scrappers took a 1-0 lead in the second on a single by Stephen Douglas and a RBI single by Cirillo Cumberbatch.
The Spikes tied it in the fourth when Nathan Southard singled and scored on a swinging bunt by Jared Schweitzer.
Spikes pull ahead
The Spikes made it 3-1 in the sixth on singles by Donovan Solano and Nathan Southard, an error charged to Scrapper right fielder Cirilo Cumberbatch and a two-run single by Schweitzer. Schweitzer finished 2-for-4 with three RBI.
"We got some ugly hits," said Spikes manager Mark DeJohn. "If you put both of them together, I don't think they went a total of 150 feet. But they count the same as line drives and tonight, they got the job done."
The Scrappers begin a two-game series against the Williamsport Crosscutters tonight at Eastwood Field.
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SCRAPPERSSTATE COLLEGE
abrhbiabrhbi
Denham dh4010Sandoval ss3000
Lytle ss4000Solano 3b4121
Goedert 3b3000Southard lf4230
McBride c4010Wilkerson 1b4010
Realini 1b4000Gorsett rf2000
Douglas cf3110Schweitzer 2b4023
Davis rf4010Carpenter c4000
Roberts 1b4000Gonzalez dh3000
Cumbrbtch rf3011Sivira cf2100
Rapoport cf1000
Totals33151Totals31484
Scrappers010000000--1
State College00010210x--4
E--Wilkerson (7), Sandoval (10), Cumberbatch (3). LOB--Scrappers 8, State College 6. 2B--Davis (9). SB--Southard (15), Sivira (4), Douglas (7). CS--Lytle (4).
IPHRERBBSO
Scrappers
Delage, L 2-7653216
Hernandez121110
Woods100001
State College
Sadlowski, W 2-26 1-341003
Hodinka1-300001
Hooks1-300001
Gregerson, S 3210022
WP--Sadlowski, Hodinka, Gregerson. HBP--by Delage (Sandoval), by Delage (Gorsett), by Sadlowski (Cumberbatch). Umpires--Home, Matthew Pridemore; First, Jeremy Crowe. T--2:45. A--3,603.
HOW THEY SCORED
Scrappers 2nd -- With one out, Stephen Douglas singled to center, stole second and moved to third when Adam Davis was safe on an error by Spike first baseman Matt Wilkerson. After Josh Roberts lined out to shortstop, Cirilo Cumberbatch plated Douglas with a RBI single to rightfield. SCRAPPERS 1, SPIKES 0.
Spikes 4th -- Nathan Southard singled to center, went to second on a single to right by Matt Wilkerson, moved to third when Luke Gorsett grounded into a 5-4-3 double play and scored on an infield single by Jared Schweitzer. SCRAPPERS 1, SPIKES 1.
Spikes 6th -- Donovan Solano beat out an infield single, moved to second on a single to right by Nathan Southard and advanced to third on an error charged to Cirilo Cumberbatch. William Delage struck out Matt Wilkerson and Luke Gorsett, but Southard moved to second on defensive indifference and Jared Schweitzer drove both Solano and Southard across the plate with a 2-run single to center. SPIKES 3, SCRAPPERS 1.
Spikes 7th -- With one out, Yonathan Sivira walked, stole second and scored on a RBI single to center by Donovan Solano. SPIKES 4, SCRAPPERS 1.