Scrappers all grit, no quit

Manager Tim Laker is missing the final six games for
“family-related” reasons.

By STEVE RUMAN

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

NILES — One night after they were officially eliminated from the playoff race, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers showed their grit with a 6-4 home win over State College in front of 3,726 fans.

The Scrappers (37-32) assured themselves of a second-place finish in the Pinckney Division of the New York-Penn League. It marks the fifth time in six years the Scrappers will finish second behind Auburn.

The Scrappers were guided by first base coach Anthony Medrano, who will manage the team for its final six games. Scrappers manager Tim Laker left the team following Saturday’s contest for reasons Medrano described as “family-related.”

Objective

“These guys want to finish the season strong, and it’s always positive to go into the offseason with a few wins, so we’ll continue to play hard,” Medrano said. “There are still a lot of lessons to be learned, so we will continue to teach the game just as we have all summer long.”

State College threatened in the first when Eisenberg hit the first two batters he faced. However, Eisenberg recovered to get Justin Byler to fly out to center, then the inning ended when Andrew Walker grounded into a double play.

The Spikes broke through to take a 2-0 lead in the second. After Daniel Rios and Matt Cavagnaro led off the inning with back-to-back singles, both runners moved up a base on a flyout. Austin McClune then scored both runners with a hit to left field.

Meanwhile, State College starter Nicolas Suero set down the first 10 batters he faced before the Scrappers scored a pair of fourth-inning runs to tie the game. Mark Thompson was the first Scrapper to reach base when he laced a one-out double down the left field line. After Jansy Infante was hit by a pitch, Chris Nash and Karexon Sanchez hit back-to-back RBI hits.

Scrappers load bases

The Scrappers loaded the bases in the fifth on consecutive singles by Osiel Flores, Jeff Hehr and Adam White. Thompson then gave the Scrappers a 3-2 lead with a sacrifice fly.

“He [Suero] has great command, and he was mixing up his pitches well tonight,” Medrano said. “Our guys did a good job of adjusting the second time around. They began putting the ball in play, and when they do that, good things tend to happen.”

After State College tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the sixth on a run-scoring triple by James Barksdale, Mahoning Valley took the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning with a pair of runs. Flores and White each hit RBI singles to give the Scrappers a 5-3 advantage.

The Scrappers scored their final run of the night when Hehr knocked in Petrucci with a two-out single in the eighth.

Eisenberg (4-6) pitched six innings, surrendering five runs on 10 hits. Josh Judy pitched 21⁄3 scoreless innings to pick up his first save of the season.

———

STATE COLLEGESCRAPPERS

abrhbiabrhbi

Friday ss3110White cf5021

Simon cf4020Thompson ss3111

Byler dh5000Infante 3b3100

Walker c3001Nash 1b4011

Rios 1b3110Sanchez dh4011

Ftzptrck ph-1b1000Jenkins rf3110

Cavagnaro 2b4120Petrucci lf4210

Perez 3b2100Flores c4121

Spain ph-3b1000Hehr 2b4021

Barksdale lf4031

McClune rf4012

Totals344104Totals346116

State College020001100—4

Scrappers00021201x—6

E—Friday (8). DP—State College 1, Scrappers 2. LOB—State College 9, Scrappers 7. 2B—Simon (13), Thompson (8), Jenkins (10). 3B—Barksdale (2). SB—Friday (7), Perez (11), Barksdale (11), Simon (8). SF—Thompson.

IPHRERBBSO

State College

Suero L, 3-56105513

Moskos100000

Boleska111001

Scrappers

Eisenberg663322

Brettl2-321100

Judy S, 12 1-320001

WP—Suero 2, Boleska, Eisenberg. HBP—by Suero (Infante), by Eisenberg (Friday), by Eisenberg (Simon), by Eisenberg (Walker), by Judy (Friday). Umpires—Home, Keith Rogowski; Bases, Harry Oschip. T—2:25. A—3,726.

HOW THEY SCORED

State College 2nd—Rios singled to left. Cavagnaro reached on a bunt single, Rios to second. Perez flew out to right, Rios to third, Cavagnaro to second. James Barksdale grounded out to third. McClune singled to left, Rios and Cavagnaro scored, Barksdale to second on the throw. McClune to third on a wild pitch. Friday struck out swinging. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Scrappers 4th—White grounded out to second. Thompson doubled down the left field line. Infante was hit by a pitch. Nash singled to left, Thompson scored, Infante to second. Sanchez singled to right, Infante scored, Nash advaned to third. Jenkins walked, Sanchez to second. Petrucci hit into a 5-2-3 double play, Nash was thrown out at the plate 5-2. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB

Scrappers 5th—Flores singled to left. ehr reached on an infield single, Flores to second. White reached on a bunt single, Flores to third, Hehr to second. Thompson flew out to center, Flores scored. Hehr to third, White to second on a wild pitch. Infante flew out to right. Nash flew out to right. 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB

State College 6th—Cavagnaro grounded out to shortstop. Perez walked. Perez stole second. Barksdale tripled to the wall in right, Perez scored. McClune reached on a fielders choice, Barksdale was thrown out at the plate on the play 6-3. McClune was picked off first 1-3. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB

Scrappers 6th—Sanchez grounded out to first. Jenkins doubled to the gap in right-center. Jenkins to third on a wild pitch. Petrucci reached on an infield single. Flores singled to left, Jenkins scored, Petrucci to second. Hehr reached on a fielders choice, Flores was forced out 4-6, Petrucci advaned to third. White singled to center, Petrucci scored, Hehr to second. Thompson grounded out to second. 2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB

State College 7th—Friday singled to right. Friday stole second. Simon singled to right, Friday to third. Byler popped out to first base. Walker reached on a fielders choice, Simon was forced out at second 1-4, Friday scored. Rios flew out to center. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB

Scrappers 8th—Jenkins grounded out to the shorstop. Petrucci reached on an error by the first baseman. Petrucci to second on a passed ball. Flores grounded our to third. Hehr singled to left, Petrucci scored. White struck out swinging. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB

LATE SATURDAY

STATE COLLEGESCRAPPERS

abrhbiabrhbi

Friday ss4120White cf5010

Cavagnaro 2b5231Thompson ss4231

Simon cf4001Infante 3b3311

Byler 1b5020Nash 1b4024

Walker c5010Sanchez 2b3011

Fitzpatrick dh4110Brown rf5000

Spain 3b1010Jenkins dh4030

Durham ph1000Valadez c4000

Perez 3b0000CPetrucci lf4220

Davis lf4000

McClune rf4021

Totals374123Totals367137

State College110020000—4

Scrappers11000000x—2

E—Williams (1), Spain (17), Cavagnaro (10, Perez (19), Nash (4), Thompson (16). DP—State College 1, Scrappers 2. LOB—State College 11, Scrappers 11. 2B—Spain (10), Byler (18), Nash (4). 3B—Nash (1). HR—Cavagnaro (4). SB—Thompson (10), Sanchez (1). CS—White (8).

IPHRERBBSO

State College

Williams L, 1-26102212

Felix232234

Scrappers

Frerga4 2-374333

Campfield W, 1-01 1-310010

Rieck240002

Pestano S, 6100002

WP—Williams, Felix, Frega 2. HBP—by Williams (Thompson), by Campfield (Friday). Umpires—Home, Harry Oschip; Bases, Keith Rogowski. T—3:00. A—2,316.