Scrappers' fading hopes gone

The Scrappers lost to the Crosscutters, 5-2, to end their postseason hopes.
By BILL ALBRIGHT
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
WILLIAMSPORT -- The Mahoning Valley Scrappers gave it a good shot, but just came up a little short.
Needing to defeat the Williamsport Crosscutters Tuesday night, the Scrappers saw their postseason hopes evaporate with a 5-2 loss before 1,386 fans at Bowman Field.
"I thought we did a helluva job throughout the whole ball game," said Scrappers manager Rouglas Odor. "Even when they scored five runs, we came right back and scored two on them and had a big chance to tie it or even go ahead.
"The guys did a heckuva job putting pressure on them and coming back."
The game featured a pitcher's duel between Scrapper lefty William Delage and Crosscutters right-handed pitcher Erik Krebs. (Neither was involved in the decision.)
Krebs worked five strong innings, allowing just one hit while walking two and striking out eight. Delage allowed three hits, walked none and struck out five.
The scoreless string ended for the Crosscutters when Andy Woods entered the game in relief of Delage and encountered nothing but problems.
Five runs in sixth
In the sixth, Williamsport sent 10 men to the plate and came away with five runs. The Cutters worked in pairs as they put together two hits, two walks, two hit batsmen and two fielder's choices to get the job done.
The Scrappers squandered a golden opportunity in the fifth when Evandy DeLeon led off by reaching on a three-base error charged to Crosscutters third baseman Jared Keel.
However, Krebs retired Josh Roberts on a ground ball to short, fanned Kelly Edmundson and got Jason Denham on a pop-up to Keel.
"I think the difference in this game was the starters," Odor said. "We had Delage on the mound and he has been sharp and their pitcher [Krebs] was also throwing the ball pretty well. He got a little wild a couple of times, but the key was they made pitches when they needed to and that is why we couldn't score in the first couple of innings."
Scrappers finally score
After going scoreless in the first six innings, Mahoning Valley ended the drought in the seventh when Andy Lytle led off with a solo home run to left. One out later, Josh Roberts beat out an infield single and scored on a RBI double into the left field corner by Kelly Edmundson.
Edmundson moved to third on a groundout by Jason Denham, but Adam Davis kept the inning alive with a walk. Jason Herman then took over the mound chores for the Cutters.
Herman promptly loaded the bases with a free pass issued to Josh Rodriguez, but avoided further problems when he retired Matt McBride on a pop-up to second.
"I thought Herman was the key tonight because he was able to slow down the rally they had going," said Crosscutters pitching coach Bruce Tanner. "I thought he got a real big out in the seventh and gave us a clean eighth inning. That gave us a chance to get to our closer [Sergio] Silva. I thought Herm was a big factor in the game."
Now out of contention, the Scrappers hit the road for Auburn for two games with the Doubledays to close out the season.
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SCRAPPERSWILLIAMSPORT
abrhbiabrhbi
Denham cf5010Laboy lf-rf4011
Davis 2b3000Gonzalez ss4120
Rodriguez ss3010Peralta 2b4110
McBride dh4000Presley cf-lf3100
Realini 3b 4000Byler dh3101
Lytle 1b3111Keel 3b 3001
De Leon 1b4000Sakamoto 1b4101
Roberts lf3110Watts c2000Edmundson rf 4011Durham rf2010
Brksdle pr-cf1000
Totals33252Totals30550
Scrappers000000200--2
Williamsport000005000--5
E--Delage 2 (4), Keel (8). DP--Scrappers 0, Crosscutters 0. LOB--Scrappers 8, Crosscutters 7. HR--Lytle (1). 2B--Rodriguez (11), Edmundson (8), Gonzalez (12), Durham (7). SB--Laboy (9). CS--None. SF--Keel.
IPHRERBBSO
Scrappers
Delage530005
Woods, L 1-21-324410
Frega2 2-301121
Williamsport
Krebs510028
Alvarez, W 2-12 2-342211Herman1 1-300000
Silva, S 3100002
WP--Woods. HBP--by Woods (Byler), by Frega (Durham). Umpires--Home, Jimmy Volpi; First, Barry Lee. T--2:42. A--1,386.
HOW THEY SCORED
Williamsport 6th--Pitching change: Woods replaced Delage. Gonzalez reached on bunt single. Peralta singled to short; Gonzalez to 2nd. Presley walked; Gonzalez to 3rd; Peralta to 2nd. Byler hit by pitch; Peralta to 3rd; Presley to 2nd. With Keel batting, Woods threw wild pitch; Peralta scored; Presley to 3rd; Byler to 2nd. Keel sac fly to left (F-7); Presley scored; Byler to 3rd. Pitching change: Frega replaced Woods. Sakamoto reached on fielder's choice (6-4); Byler scored. Watts walked; Sakamoto to 2nd. Durham hit by pitch; Sakamoto to 3rd; Watts to 2nd. Barksdale pinch ran for Durham. Laboy hit into fielder's choice (6-4); Sakamoto scored; Watts to 3rd; Laboy to 1st. Gonzalez grounded into fielder's choice (6-4). 5 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Scrappers 7th--Lytle homered to left. De Leon flied out (F-8). Roberts singled to left. Edmundson doubled to left; Roberts scored. Denham grounded out (3-1); Edmundson to 3rd. Davis walked. Pitching change: Herman replaced Alvarez. Rodriguez walked; Davis to 2nd. McBride popped out (F-4). 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.