Scrappers battle back for 6-5 win

Mahoning Valley fell behind Williamsport 5-1 before
rallying to win.

By BILL ALBRIGHT

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

WILLIAMSPORT — Nobody has to tell Mahoning Valley skipper Tim Laker about surrendering leads that result in losses. His Scrappers have had more than their share of those outcomes in the last couple of weeks.

Thursday night at Bowman Field, the shoe was on the other foot as the Scrappers fell behind the Crosscutters 5-1 before battling back for a hard-fought 6-5 victory.

“We got ourselves down, but we got some big hits at the right time and were able to battle back to pick up the win,” said Laker. “It is good to see some other guys contribute for us.”

As anticipated, the game featured a duel between starters Scrapper Joanniel Montero and Williamsport's Chance Chapman.

However, when the issue was decided, neither Montero or Chapman figured in the decision as the bullpen decided the final fate for both teams.

After the two teams battled through three scoreless innings, the Scrappers broke through with a run in the top of the fourth and it could easily have been more.

Adam White singled to center, Jansy Infante followed with a bunt single and White and Infante each moved up one base on Karezon Sanchez's sacrifice bunt.

Chris Nash took a called third strike, but Matt Brown plated White with the game's first run on a swinging bunt single down the third base line. With Brown at first and Infante at third, Justin Jenkins bounced into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Big inning for Cutters

After retiring the Cutters through the first four innings by only facing 14 batters, Montero ran into trouble in the fifth when the Cutters scored four runs before adding a fifth run in the sixth.

“He [Montero] has been very strong for us in his last six or seven outings,” noted Laker. “He always gives us a good five innings.”

But then it happened.

Down 5-1, but not out of the game, Mahoning Valley scrapped for four runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 5-all.

Justin Jenkins reached on an error, Cristo Arnal singled to left and Osial Flores added a single to right.

Chapman struck out Jeffrey Hehr, but White picked up his fourth hit of the game in four tries with an RBI single down the first base line. For the game, White finished with the best offensive night of his career with five hits in five trips.

After Jansy Infante went down on strikes, Karexon Sanchez cleared the sacks with a 3-run double into the right field corner for three runs and the 5-all tie.

“Right now I am feeling pretty good,” said White following the game. “It was a good night for me and I really felt it was bound to happen. It was one of those games that I will remember for a long time. We had to win this game to keep any hopes we might have to make the playoffs alive so this win keeps us breathing a little longer.”

Laker was glad to see the effort from White.

“We haven't seen that kind of game from him,” said Laker. “He has been picking it up and swinging a lot better from the left side. It was really good to see him get five (hits).”

Winning run in eighth

Not to let their comeback effort fall short of a win, the Scrappers scored the game-winner in the eighth inning when Arnal reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a RBI double by Flores.

“(Osiel) Flores had a big game (3-4 with a double and one RBI) and as our third catcher, he doesn't get in there that much, said Laker. “It is good to see him have a game like that.”

Mark Rodrigues picked up the win for the Scrappers, Jonathan Holt working the eighth and ninth innings to pick up his fifth save of the season.

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SCRAPPERSWILLIAMSPORT

abrhbiabrhbi

White cf5251Brown cf5112

Infante 3b5000Mitchell 3b4111

K. Sanchez dh3013Mach 2b5021

Nash 1b5000Spencer rf 4010

Brown rf4011Taylor lf3110

Jenkins lf4100Rizzotti 1b3000

Arnal ss4210Durant dh4110

Flores c 4131Mangum c4021

Hehr 2b4010Sorgi ss4120

Totals386116Totals375125

Scrappers000100410—6

Williamsport000410000—5

E—Nash (3), Michell 2 (25), Kennelly (5); DP—Scrappers 1, Williamsport 2; LOB—Scrappers 7, Williamsport 7; 2B—Sanchez (1), Mach 2 (18), Spencer (7); 3B—Brown (4); SB—Arnal (6), Taylor (7).

IPHRERBBSO

Scrappers

Montero584400

Delage000000

Rodrigues (W, 1-1)221111

Holt (S,4)220002

Williamsport

Chapman795005

Kissock (L 2-3)221100

HBP — Kissock (Sanchez); PB—Flores; Umpires: Home, Justin Sassaman; Bases, Ross Nickel; T—2:36; A—1,119.

HOW THEY SCORED

Scrappers 4th — White singles to center; Infante bunt single, White to second; Sanchez sacrifice bunt, White to third, Infante to second; Nash struck out looking; Brown swinging bunt to third, scoring White, Infante moving to third; Jenkins grounded into fielder's choice, Brown forced out at second. 1 run, 3 hits, 2 LOB.

Cutters 5th—Matt Rizzotti flew out to left field; Michael Durant singled to deep short; Caleb Mangum flew out to center field; Adam Sorgi singled off pitcher's glove, Durant to second; Dominic Brown lined a triple into the right field corner, Durant and Sorgi scoring; Derrick Mitchell singled to deep short, Brown scoring from third; Tyler Mach doubled to the gap in right-center field, Mitchell scoring; Matt Spencer popped out to shortstop. 4 runs, 5 hits, 1 LOB.

Cutters 6th—Pitching Change: William Delage replaces Joanniel Montero, then Mark Rodrigues replaces Delage when Delage was injured during his warmup pitches: Taylor walked: With Rizzotti at the plate, Taylor advanced to second when a pickoff throw went awry: Rizzotti flew out to left: With Durant at the plate, Taylor stole third base; Durant struck out looking: Mangum singled to left field, Taylor scoring.: Sorgi singled to left, Mangum moving to second.: Brown flew out to center field. 1 run, 2 hits, 2 LOB.

Scrappers 7th — Jenkins reached on error by third baseman: Arnal line single to left, Jenkins to second: Flores singled to right, Jenkins to third, Arnal to second: Hehr struck out swinging: White singled to first base, Jenkins scoring, Arnal to third, Flores to second.: Infante struck out swinging; Sanchez doubled into the right field corner, Arnal, Flores and White all scoring; Nash lined out to left field. 4 runs, 4 hits, 1 LOB:

Scrappers 8th — Pitching Change: Chris Kissock replaces Chance Chapman: Defensive Change: Tim Kennelly replaced Mitchell at third base: Brown grounded out second to first: Jenkins reached on error by third baseman: Arnal grounded into fielder's choice, Jenkins retired 5-4: With Flores at the plate, Arnal stole second: Flores doubled to left field, Arnal scoring: Hehr grounded out first unassisted. 1 run 1 hit, 1 LOB.