Scrappers' win streak snapped by Ironbirds

Mahoning Valley's rally fell short in the 4-3 loss to Aberdeen.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- Mahoning Valley's four-game winning streak came to a halt Sunday, but the Scrappers didn't go down without a fight.
The Scrappers, trailing 4-2 had opportunities in both the eighth and ninth innings, but were turned away by Aberdeen Ironbirds, 4-3, before 2,777 fans at Eastwood Field.
The Scrappers (11-9) led 2-0 after four innings, but starting pitcher William Delage, who retired 12 of the first 13 batters he faced, gave up a game-tying two-run homer to Brandon Snyder.
The Ironbirds added two more runs off losing pitcher Dan Frega in the seventh.
"We were right in there until the end and we had opportunities to win the game," said Scrappers manager Rouglas Odor.
"I was pleased with the way we continued to battle back and it took a couple of great defensive plays to stop us in the end," Odor said.
In the eighth inning Mahoning Valley opened with back-to-back singles by Adam Davis and Dustin Realini and a sacrifice bunt by Jared Goedert advanced both runners.
Matt McBride followed with a solid single up the middle scoring Davis, but Odor elected to hold Realini at third base.
Josh Rodriguez then hit into a double play to end the inning.
"It was a sharp hit ball to center and I made the decision to hold him up," Odor said.
"We had Josh [Rodriguez] coming up and he had been hitting very well, but it didn't work out this time."
Realini probably would have scored on McBride's single since the ball bounced away from the Ironbirds' catcher, Snyder at home plate.
Defensive effort
In the ninth inning, Evandy De Leon got a one-out walk and moved to second on a ground out. With De Leon running on the play, pinch hitter Kelly Edmundson hit a hard hopper up the middle, but Aberdeen's shortstop Jedidiah Stephens made a diving grab of the ball and threw out Edmundson by a step.
Mahoning Valley took the early lead scoring once in the bottom of the first when Realini singled to center.
With two outs McBride hit a high pop in shallow center and neither the shortstop or center fielder could come up with the ball. Realini kept right on running and the throw home got past Snyder, allowing Realini to score.
In the second De Leon doubled to left field and got to third on a bad throw back to the infield. Jason Denham then hit a sacrifice fly to center scoring DeLeon.
Delage retired the first nine batters hit faced and then hit Zach Davis to lead off the fourth before retiring the next three.
Game-tying homer
In the fourth he walked Corey Shafer to lead off the inning and then gave up a two-run homer to Snyder, that went into the Scrappers bullpen in right field.
In the seventh the Ironbirds took the lead off Frega (1-4) as he hit Snyder with one out, gave up a single to Joel Pacheco and then Todd Davison hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Snyder. Stephens then singled home Pacheco for what turned out to be the winning run.
The Scrappers outhit Aberdeen 9-5 with Realini, McBride and Rodriguez all getting two hits apiece. Stephens had two hits for the Ironbirds.
The third and final game of the series will be played tonight at Eastwood Field at 7:05.
mollica@vindy.com
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ABERDEENSCRAPPERS
abrhbiabrhbi
Davis cf3000Davis 2b4110
Abreu 3b4000Realini 1b4120
Winterling rf4010Goedert 3b3000
Vinyard dh4000McBride dh4021
Shafer lf3100Rodriguez ss4020
Snyder c2112Roberts rf3000
Andrews pr0100Cmbrbtch ph1000
Castillo c1000De Leon lf3110
Pacheco 1b4110Denham cf2001
Davison, 2b2001Lacy c3010
Stephen ss3021Edmundsn ph1000
Totals30454Totals32292
Aberdeen000020200--4
Scrappers110000010--3
E--Snyder, Shafer, Lacy. DP--Aberdeen 1. LOB--Aberdeen 3, Scrappers 6. 2B--De Leon (6), Rodriguez (2); Stephen (4), Abreu (2), Roberts (3), Snyder (2). HR--Snyder (1). SB--Stephen (1), Davis (3). CS--Stephen; SF--Denham.
IPHRERBBSO
Aberdeen
Moore W, 3-0662104
Thall100010
Soriano1-331100
Bordes (S,4)1 2-300011
Scrappers
Delage522214
Frega L, 1-4222200
Cooper210003
WP--Moore. HBP--Davis (by Delage); Snyder (by Frega); Umpires--Home, Adam Hamari; First, Matt Arcovio. T--2:24. A--2,777.
HOW THEY SCORED
Scrappers 1st -- Adam Davis flied out; Dustin Realini singled to centerfield; Jared Goedert flied out; Matt McBride bloop single to center, Realini scores on error by catcher, McBride to third; Josh Rodriguez flied out. 1 run, 2 hits, 1 error.
Scrappers 2nd -- Josh Roberts struckout; Evandy DeLeon doubled to left field, then took third when throw from outfield got past third base; Jason Denham hit sacrifice fly to centerfield, DeLeon scoring; Brent Lacy singled to center, took second on wild pitch; Davis struckout. 1 run, 2 hits, 1 error.
Ironbirds 5th -- Corey Shafer walked; Brandon Snyder homered into the Scrappers bullpen in right field, Shafer scoring; Joel Pacheco grounded out; Todd Davison grounded out; Jedidiah Stephen singled to left, Zack Davis struckout; 2 runs, 2 hits 0 errors.
Ironbirds 7th -- Shafer grounded out; Snyder was hit by a pitch; Pacheco singled to right, Snyder to third; Bobby Andrews pinch-run for Snyder at third; Davison sacrifice fly to center, Andrews scored, Pacheco to second; Stephens singled to right, Pacheco scoring; Stephens thrown out trying to steal second. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors.
Scrappers 8th -- Davis singled to right; Realini singled to right, Davis to second; Goedert sacrifice bunt, Davis to third, Realini to second; McBride single up middle, Davis scoring, Realini to third; Rodriguez grounds into a (4-3) double play. 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors.