Wednesday, July 19, 2006
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- Mahoning Valley Scrappers manager Rouglas Odor feels his team is still playing very well, they just aren't winning.
Tuesday night the Scrappers dropped a 3-2 game to the Hudson Valley Renegades, their third loss in four games, and fell out of first place in the Pinckney Division of the New York-Penn League standings with their 15-13 record, a half game behind Batavia (14-11).
"We had our opportunities tonight and our pitching gave us a chance to win, but we just didn't get the breaks we needed to win," said Odor.
"Our last three games on the road we dropped two, 14-0 and 7-1, but we hit the ball hard, only it was right at somebody," he added. "Still we came back after that 14-0 loss and won the next night and that's the sign of a good ball team."
Solid start
Rookie Mike Eisenberg started for the Scrappers and pitched five solid innings and took a 2-1 lead into the sixth.
But in the sixth he allowed a double and two walks before giving way to Derrick Loop, but the Renegades managed to tie up the contest and then win it with a one-run rally in the eighth.
"I think that Mike got a little tired in the sixth; that was as far as he's ever gone this season, but he did an excellent job over those first five innings," Odor said.
The Scrappers scored one run in the second and one in the fifth off starter Ryan Owen, but reliever Erik Walker came on in the fifth and retired the final 13 batters he faced without giving up a hit.
"We didn't get it done tonight, but we'll be back again tomorrow and be ready to go all over again," Odor said.
Early lead
Mahoning Valley scored first in the second inning. With one out Evandy DeLeon laid down a perfect bunt single.
He was then caught in a rundown between first and second, but was safe at second on an interference call on the Renegades' second baseman.
After Cirillo Cumberbatch flied out, Brent Lacy reached on an infield single and then Brent Thomas doubled to left, scoring DeLeon.
Hudson Valley tied the game in the third on a single by Matt Fields, who stole second and scored on Ryan Royster's single up the middle.
The Scrappers came back in the fifth, again with one out, as Thomas singled to center and went to third on Adam Davis' single to left. Jason Denham followed with a bloop single to left that scored Thomas. Davis was then caught trying to steal third and Walker came in and retired the final out.
Comeback
In the sixth the Renegades tied the game again as Fields led off with a double and Scott Gummo walked. Royster sacrificed on a bunt, but Scrappers catcher Brent Lacy threw out Fields at third. After David Kennedy walked, Lacy tried to pick off pinch runner Brandon Rousseve at third, but threw the ball into left field allowing Rousseve to score the tying run.
In the eighth, with on out, Rousseve doubled down the left field line and Royster followed with a single to center scoring Rousseve with the eventual winning run.
The Scrappers finished with 10 hits, but nothing after the fifth inning. Davis, Jason Denham, DeLeon and Thomas all had two hits each.
The Renegades also had 10 hits with John Matulia leading the way with three, while Royster had two hits and drove in two runs.
The two teams will meet in the second game of the series tonight at 7:05 at Eastwood Field.
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HUDSON VALLEYSCRAPPERS
abrhbiabrhbi
Matulia cf5030Davis 2b4020
Durante 2b5000Denham cf4021
Loyola rf5010Lytle ss4010
Fields 1b5120Rodrigz pr-ss0000
Gummo 3b2000Goedert 3b4000
Rsseve pr-3b1210Realini 1b4000
Royster lf4022De Leon lf4120
Kennedy dh3010Cmbrbtch rf3000
Spring c4000Lacy c3010
de la Rosa ss3000Thomas dh3121
Totals373102Totals332102
Hudson Valley000101010--3
Scrappers010010000--2
E--Gummo (1), Durante (1), de la Rose (6), Lytle (4), Lacy (4). DP--Hudson Valley 2. LOB--Hudson Valley 10, Scrappers 4. 2B--Fields (5), Rousseve (1). SB--Matulia (1), Royster (2), de la Rosa (4), Fields (3), Thomas (1). CS--de la Rose, De Leon 2, Davis.
IPHRERBBSO
Hudson Valley
Owen4 1-3102101
Walker W, 3-04 2-300002
Scrappers
Eisenberg5 1-362232
Loop L, 1-22 2-321104
Meyer120001
WP--Eisenberg 2. Umpires--Home, Tripp Gibson; First, Masake Nonaka. T--2:36. A--3,610.
HOW THEY SCORED
Scrappers 2nd -- Realini grounded out (5-3). De Leon singled on a bunt. With Cumberbatch batting, De Leon awarded 2nd on interference. Cumberbatch flied out (F-8). Lacy singled to shortstop, De Leon to 3rd. Thomas doubled to left field, De Leon scored, Lacy to 3rd. Davis grounded out (6-3). 1 run, 3 hits, 1 error.
Hudson Valley 4th -- Fields singled to center field. With Gummo batting, Fields stole 2nd. Gummo struck out. Royster singled to center field, Fields scores. Kennedy grounded out (2-3), Royster to 2nd. Spring grounded out (5-3). 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors.
Scrappers 5th -- Lacy struck out. Thomas singled to center field. Davis singled to left field, Thomas to 2nd. Denham singled to left field, Thomas scored, Davis to 2nd. Pitching change: Walker replaced Owen. With Lytle batting, Davis caught stealing 3rd (2-5). Lytle grounded out (1-3). 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors.
Hudson Valley 6th -- Fields doubled to left field. Gummo walked. Royster bunts into a force out (2-5), Fields out at 3rd, Gummo to 2nd, Royster to 1st. Rousseve replaces Gummo. With Kennedy batting, wild pitch by Eisenberg, Rousseve to 3rd. With Kennedy batting, Royster stole second base, Rousseve scored on throwing error (E-2). Kennedy walks. Wild pitch by Eisenberg, Royster to 3rd. Pitching change: Loop replaces Eisenberg. Spring struck out. de la Rosa struck out. 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error.
Hudson Valley 8th -- Fields grounded out (4-3). Rousseve doubled to left field. Royster singled to center field, Rousseve scored. Kennedy struck out. Spring struck out. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors.