Scrappers strand dozen in loss to State College

Mahoning Valley closes the
season today against the Spikes.

By BILL ALBRIGHT

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

UNIVERSITY PARK — The State College Spikes scored four times in the fifth inning to break open a scoreless game in Thursday’s 4-1 victory over the Scrappers.

Just as was the case Wednesday in another loss to the Spikes, the situational hitting wasn’t there for the Scrappers. They once again left 12 men on the basepaths in the game before 4,667 fans at Medlar Park at Lubrano Field.

“We lost by three runs and they said we left 12 men on base,” Scrappers manager Anthony Medrano said. “There is just no way you can win a ball game when you only score one run and leave 12 on base. It is just an impossible situation.”

Josh Judy cruised through the first two innings before he ran into trouble in the third.

However, due to some bad baserunning on the part of the Spikes and the pitcher’s best friend, the double play, State College was held off the board despite showing three basehits in the inning.

“He did a great job in that inning and we were just talking about that in the dugout,” Medrano said. “He just beared down, got the guys out and didn’t let a run score.”

Four-run inning

After battling each other through four-and-a-half scoreless innings, the Spikes, with a little help from the Scrappers, broke through.

Big hits in the inning by State College were a two-run single by Keanon Simon and a RBI single by Justin Byler.

“It was all in that one inning when they scored their runs and if you aren’t scoring runs and giving away runs like we did in that inning, it is tough to win a ball game,” Medrano said.

The Scrappers avoided the shutout with a run in the top of the sixth inning.

Jansy Infante walked, went to third on a single by Cristo Arnal and scored on Lucas Montero’s line single to left.

“It was nice to score because the last five or six games we haven’t done a good job scoring runs,” Medrano said. “We are just leaving too many men on base, especially on third base with less than two outs. We have been in easy situations to drive men in and we haven’t been able to do it.”

Major leaguer Zach Duke worked the first five and two-thirds innings, allowing one earned run to pick up the win. Although Duke only surrendered three hits, Scrappers hitters hit some balls

“They see a big leaguer out there and they just want to get in there and get him,” Medrano said. “I think they bear down a little more when a big leaguer is out there and it also gives them something to go home and talk about.

“They can tell everybody, hey, I got a hit off Zach Duke. They were really pumped up for the game, but again, the bottom line is what we didn’t get any runs.”

The two teams will not only close out the three-game series this afternoon in a 5:05 p.m. start. The matchup will be the final game of the 2007 season for both clubs.

Mike Eisenberg (4-6, 4.00) gets the call for the Scrappers, while the Spikes will counter with Nicolas Suero (3-5, 3.66).

---

SCRAPPERSSTATE COLLEGE

abrhbiabrhbi

White cf5000Friday ss3110

Thompson ss3010Simon cf4112

Infante 3b4110Byler 1b4021

Sanchez pr 0000Walker c4000

Nash 1b4000Rios dh4010

Flores c4000Cavagnaro 2b3120

Arnal dh4020Barksdale lf2000

Montero rf 4021Perez 3b3120

Petrucci lf4000McClune rf3010

Hehr 2b 2010

Totals34171Totals304103

Scrappers000001000—1

State College00004000x—4

E—Campfield (1). DP—State College 2. LOB—Scrappers 12, State College 4. 2B—Montero (1).

IPHRERBBSO

Scrappers

Judy 340000

Rieck L, 3-1 1.234312

Campfield2.120001

Landis110020

State College

Duke W, 1-05.231123

Williams1.130000

Amato H, 1110011

Moskos S, 1100021

HBP—by Duke (Nash), by Williams (Thompson). Umpires—Home, Justin Sassman; Bases, Ross Nickel;. T—2:33. A—4,667.

HOW THEY SCORED

Spikes 5th — Cavagnaro singled to left field. Barksdale’s sacrifice bunt to pitcher sends Cavagnaro to second. Perez hits infield single. McClune flied out to center field. Friday walked, sending Cavagnaro to third and Perez to second. Simon singled to right, scoring Cavnagro and Perez and sending Friday to third. Pitching Change: Garry Campfield replaces Rieck: Byler hits to pitcher, Friday scored on throwing error. Walker struck out. 4 runs, 4 hits, 2 errors, 1 LOB

Scrappers 6th — Infante walked. Nash lined out to left field. Flores lined out center field. Pitching Change: Brandon Williams replaces Zach Duke. Arnal singles to right field, sending Infante to third. Montero singled to left, scoring Infante and sending Arnal to third. Montero took second on throw. Petrucci grounded out. 1 run, 3 hits, 2 LOB.