Damage control saves Scrappers

By Greg Gulas

P.J. Zocchi got the win even without his best stuff.

NILES – Mahoning Valley Scrappers starting pitcher P.J. Zocchi readily admitted that his five-inning stint against the State College Spikes wasn’t the best he has thrown this season.

It was his damage control, however, that even he had to smile about.

Zocchi scattered six hits, struck out two and allowed just two runs (one earned) as the Scrappers defeated the Spikes, 8-5 at Eastwood Field Monday.

“I threw some good breaking balls tonight and was able to get my fastball over the plate when I really needed to. I didn’t have my best stuff but had limited damage control,” Zocchi said.

“Sometimes a young pitcher tries to do too much and gets in trouble. Since our last Jamestown series at home, I feel like I have thrown the ball much better.

“I’ve thrown a few bad pitches here and there and had a few bad innings since that time, but I’ve been able to challenge the batters for the most part. I feel like I have improved over the past couple weeks,” he added.

After Zocchi set down the Spikes in order in their half of the first inning, a two-run homer by Robby Alcombrack, a run scoring single by Ramon Hernandez and a sacrifice fly by Dustin Realini in the Scrappers half of the first staked Mahoning Valley to an early 4-0 advantage.

It was a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way.

Assistant coach Anthony Medrano, who ran the team in manager Travis Fryman’s absence, was pleased with his team’s overall effort.

“Credit P.J. because he gave us five strong innings tonight before we handed the game over to the bullpen. Offensively, we swung the bats really well,” Medrano said.

State College cut the Scrappers’ lead to 4-1 in the third on a sacrifice fly by Matthew Payne that scored David Rubinstein. The Spikes made it 4-2 in the fourth when Rubinstein’s single scored Quincy Latimore.

Mahoning Valley (22-25) made it 6-2 in their half of the fourth inning on a two-run double by Cord Phelps, adding a run for a 7-4 advantage in the sixth frame on a sacrifice fly by Jeremie Tice that scored Phelps.

A run scoring single by Andy Vasquez and a RBI double by Jeremy Farrell in the Spikes’ half of the seventh cut the Scrappers’ lead to 7-4, but an error by Latimore in the seventh allowed Mahoning Valley’s Michael Valdez to score as the Scrappers made it 8-4.

State College (9-35) added a run in the final inning on a RBI single by Calvin Anderson.

The Spikes lost their 10th straight and went 0-5 on their road trip.

In the modern era (since 1967) of the New York-Penn League, only the 1981 Batavia Trojans (16-59) and the 1973 Newark Co-Pilots (15-55) have had as bad a season as the Spikes.

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STATE COLLEGESCRAPPERS

abrhbiabrhbi

Rosero cf5100Velasquez ss3110

Payne 3b3001Phelps 2b5242

Farrell 1b4011Realini dh4011

Anderson dh5021Tice 3b2001

Latimore lf5110Hernandez rf4121

Mendez c4010Alcombrck 1b5122

Rice 2b4000Webb cf3110

Rubenstein rf4231Valadez c4110

Vasquez ss4121Armstrong lf3100

Totals385105Totals338127

State College001100201—5

Scrappers40020110x—8

E—Latimore (5), Hernandez (3), Tice 2 (13). DP—Scrappers 1. LOB—State College 9, Scrappers 10. 2B—Latimore (9), Rubinstein (4), Farrell (5), Phelps (3). HR—Alcombrack (1). SF—Payne, Realini, Tice. PB—Mendez (2). SB—Phelps (2).

IPHRERBBSO

State College

Aguero L, 1-7344422

Colla2-312241

Ponder1-300001

Leach2 2-372112

Williams1 1-300004

Scrappers

Zocchi W, 3-2562212

Ramirez232201

Hinkle211012

WP—Zocchi; Umpires—Home, Mathieu Moisans; First, Matt Jones; T—2:56; A—2,743.

HOW THEY SCORED

Scrappers 1st — Velasquez walked. Phelps singled, runners at first and third. Realini hit a sacrifice fly to scored Valasquez. Phelps stole second. Tice flied out, Phelps advancing to third. Hernandez singled, Phelps scored. Alcombrack homered, Hernandez scored. 4 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors,

State College 3rd — Rubinstein singled. Vasquez singled, runners moved up to third and second on fielding error by Hernandez. Rosero grounded out third to first. Payne flight out to right, Rubinstein scored. Vasquez to third on wild pitch. Farrell grounded out to third to end the inning. 1 run, 2 hits, 1 error 1 LOB.

State College 4th — Anderson flied out. Latimore doubled to left. Mendez singled. Wright struck out looking. Rubinstein singled to left, Latimore scored, Mendez to second. Vasquez grounded out to first. 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Scrappers 4th — Webb walked. Valadez flied out to right. Webb to second on passed ball. Armstrong walked. Velasquez walked, Webb to third, Armstrong to 2nd. Phelps doubled to left, Webb and Armstrong scored. Realini struck out swinging. Tice walked. Hernandez struck out. 2 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 3 LOB.

Scrappers 6th — Phelps singled to center. Realini singled to left, Phelps to third. Tice hit a sacrifice fly to center, Phelps scored. Hernandez walked, Realini to second. Alcombrack grounded into double play. 1 run, 2 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.

State College 7th — Rubinstein doubled to right. Vaquez singled to center, Rubinstein scored. Rosero flied out to second. Payne struck out swinging. Farrell doubled to left, Vasquez scored. Anderson lined out to second. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors. 1 LOB.

Scrappers 7th — Webb grounded out shortstop. Valadez singled to right. Armstrong struck out swinging. Velasquez singled to right, Valadez to second. Phelps singled to left, Valadez to third, Velasquez to second, Valadez scored and Velasquez to third on error by left fielder Latimore. Realini struck out looking. 1 run, 3 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.

State College 9th — Vasquez flied out to third. Rosero reached on error by third baseman. Payne struck out looking. Farrell walked, Rosero to second. Anderson singled to center, Rosero scored, Farrell to third. Latimore struck out swinging. 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 2 LOB.