Rain's a big pain: Scrappers falter, 4-3

The game was stopped in the top of the ninth inning due to a thunderstorm at Eastwood Field.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- For the first time this year, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers' bullpen couldn't hold a lead.
Mother Nature wasn't much help either.
The Scrappers blew a 3-0 lead and dropped a 4-3 contest to the State College Spikes on Tuesday in a game that was stopped at the top of the ninth inning by a thunderstorm that left the field not playable.
The loss snapped the Scrappers' win streak at two games and dropped their overall record to 5-4 in the New York-Penn League. State College improved to 3-4.
The Scrappers jumped out early, scoring all three runs in the first inning. They still led 3-1 going to the seventh inning.
Reliever Chris Cooper started the seventh inning by allowing back-to-back home runs by Nathan Southerd and Mark Hamilton to tie the game and then the Spikes took the lead in the eighth on an RBI single by Jim Rapoport.
The Scrappers had a runner in scoring position in the eighth, but couldn't score before the rains came and washed out the final inning.
The streak ends
The Scrappers had won five games when leading after five innings, but the streak ended Tuesday.
Mahoning Valley manager Rouglas Odor had just talked about his pitching staff the day before.
"We've been pitching so well and you know that there's going to be a time when things just don't go your way and you have to pull through those times," he said.
Tuesday was one of those times.
Scrappers starter Michael Eisenberg, a rookie out of Marietta College, pitched the first three innings and although he had to pitch out of trouble in both the second and third innings he came out unscathed.
Derrick Loop pitched the next 22/3 inning and was responsible for the first Spikes run.
Cooper, who is on rehab assignment from Buffalo, finished the sixth, but got into big trouble in the seventh as he dished up two straight home run balls to Southerd and Hamilton to tie the score.
Daniel Miltenberger came on with one out in the eighth with a runner on second and gave up the RBI single to Rapoport. Cooper was the losing pitcher.
Lytle adds to streak
Mahoning Valley did all its damage in the first inning as Adam Davis led off the inning with a triple to deep center field and scored when Andy Lytle singled for the fifth straight time after going 4-for-4 on Monday.
Lytle took second on an error and went to third on a groundout before Matt McBride drove him home with a single against a drawn in Spikes infield.
Cirillo Cumberbatch added the final run when he singled with two outs, scoring McBride.
But that was it for the Scrappers, who managed just four more hits the rest of the way against the Spikes.
Rally falters
The Scrappers had a late rally going in the sixth when with two outs Stephen Douglas and Cumberbatch hit back-to-back singles, but Josh Roberts lined out to shortstop to end the rally.
In the eighth McBride led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Kelly Edmundson, but reliever Jason Motte then struck out Douglas and Cumberbatch to end the inning.
McBride and Cumberbatch each had two of the eight Scrappers hits, while Steve Gonzalez led the Spikes with three singles.
The two teams will meet in the final game of the series tonight at 7:05 at Eastwood Field.
SPIKESSCRAPPERS
abrhbiabrhbi
Rappoport cf5021Davis ss3110
Southard lf4121Lytle 2b4111
Hamilton 1b3111Realini 3b4000
Thomas dh4000McBride.dh4121
Craig 3b4000Edmundson.c2010
Carter rf4010Douglas lf4010
Gonzalez c4130Crumbrbch rf4021
Sivira 1-pr0100Roberts 1b3000
Salazar ss0000DeLeon cf3000
Sandoval4011
Totals3210104Totals31383
State College000001210--4
Scrappers30000000x--3
E--Sandoval. LOB--State College 10, Mahoning Valey 7. 3B.--Davis Hr--Southards
IPHRERBBSO
Spikes
Smith453312Marcum200012
Hondinka (W, 1-0)100012
Motte (S, 2)100020
Scrappers
Eisenburgn330023
Loop2.221120
Cooper (L, 0-1)1.243312
Millenburger0.2.10000
Umpires--Home, Jimmy Volpi; First, Jordan Baker T--2:27. A--3,155.
HOW THEY SCORED
SPIKES 4, SCRAPPERS 3
FIRST INNING
Scrappers -- Adam Davis tripled to deep center field; Andy Lytle infield single, Davis scoring, Lytle to second on throwing error by second baseman; Dustin Realine grounded out, Lytle to third; Matt McBride singled up the middle, Lytle scoring; Kelly Edmundson walked, McBride to second; Stephen Douglas struck out; Cirillo Cumberbatch singled to left, McBride scoring, Edmundson to second; Josh Roberts grounded out. 3 runs, 4 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB; Scrappers 3, Spikes 0.
SIXTH INNING
Spikes -- Allen Craig grounded out; Charles Carter popped out; Steve Gonzalez hit infield single; Jose Salazar was hit by pitch, Gonzalez to second; William Sandoval single to center, Gonzalez scoring, Salazar to second; Jim Rapoport popped out. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB; Scrappers 3, Spikes 1.
SEVENTH INNING
Spikes -- Nathan Southerd homered to left field; Mark Hamilton homered to right field; Scott Thomas flied out; Craig struck out; Carter grounded out. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB; Scrappers 3, Spikes 3.
EIGHTH INNING
Spikes -- Gonzalez singled to right, Yonthan Sivira pitch run; Salazar sacrifice bunt, Sivira to second; Sandoval flied out to left; Jim Rapoport singled to left, Sivira scoring. Southerd popped out. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB; Spikes 4, Scrappers 3.