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Tired Scrappers drop 4-1 game
The Scrappers’ hitters couldn’t get anything going against three Doubledays pitchers.
NILES — Mahoning Valley manager Travis Fryman said the Scrappers are a tired baseball team.
That translated onto the diamond Sunday night when Mahoning Valley dropped a listless 4-1 decision to the Auburn Doubledays before a big crowd of 4,544 fans at Eastwood Field that also came for fireworks.
“There’s not really much to talk about,” said Fryman. “We had four hits as a team and one run.
“We didn’t swing the bats really well. We looked a little tired which I think we are.”
Fryman said the team has been going through a battery of mini-camps and medical testing in the afternoons and that along with a few long, weather-related, games has taken a toll on the team.
“I thought we threw the ball real well and played good defense, we just didn’t bring our bats tonight.”
Mahoning Valley starter Kaimi Mead pitched well although he gave up four earned runs in five innings. Relievers Wilfredo Ramirez pitched three innings of hitless relief and Austin Creps pitched a perfect ninth inning.
“Kaimi wasn’t terrible by any means,” Fryman said. “He looked pretty good and made some good pitches although he had a little rough inning in the first.
“Wilfredo was outstanding tonight pitching three innings of hitless relief and Kreps has been solid for us all year long.”
Auburn struck for two runs in the first inning when Chris Demons singled and David Cooper followed with a walk. Doubledays’ cleanup hitter Adam Amar laced a double that scored Demons and Brian Van Kirk drove in Cooper with a sacrifice fly to left field.
The Doubledays added another run on a single a sacrifice bunt by Steve Cordolta and a fielder’s choice grounder by Bartolo Nicolas.
Meanwhile the Scrappers’ hitters couldn’t get anything going against three Doubledays pitchers.
Starter Evan Crawford gave up three hits in the first four innings before relievers Jay Morti and Bobby Bell shut down the next 14 of 15 Mahoning Valley hitters yielding just a walk.
Mahoning Valley’s leading hitter Jeremy Tice ended the drought with a two out double in the bottom of the ninth.
Auburn tacked on another run in the fifth inning to push the lead out to 4-1.
“We definitely were flat and fatigued,” Fryman said. “We have some nip and tuck games. We’ve had extra inning games. We’ve had one-run games which zap you of energy and we’ve had rain every game here at home.
“All that stuff adds up and the guys looked a little weary. Everyone is still playing hard and not making any excuses.”
———
AUBURNSCRAPPERS
abrhbiabrhbi
Nicolas rf4111Armstrong lf4000
Demons cf4110Velasquez 2b4010
Cooper dh3111Valdes cf4110
Amar 1b3011Tice 3b4010
Van Kirk lf3001Blair rf4011
Del Campo 2b4000Alcombrack c3000
Soto 3b4110Webb dh3000
Condotto ss3000Booker 1b3000
House c3010Diaz ss2000
Totals31464Totals31141
Auburn210010000—4
Scrappers000100000—1
E—Blair (2). LOB—Auburn 4, Scrappers 4. 2B—Amar (3), Velasquez (3), Valdes (5), Tice (1). S—Condotta. SF—Van Kirk.
IPHRERBBSO
Auburn
Crawford431103
Monti W, 1-0300013
Bell S, 1210002
Scrappers
Mead L, 1-2564422
Ramirez300000
Creps100001
PB—House, Alcombrack. Umpires—Home, Luke Hamelton; Bases, Chris Graham. T—1:57. A—4,544.
HOW THEY SCORED
Auburn 1st — Nicolas grounded out (1-3). Demons singles to left field. Cooper walked, Demons to 2nd. Amar doubled to left field, Demons scored, Cooper to 3rd. Van Kirk out on sacrifice fly (F-7), Cooper scored. Del Campo struck out swinging. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB
Auburn 2nd — Soto singled to left field. Condotta out on sacrifice bunt (1-3), Soto to 2nd. House singled to left field, Soto to 3rd. Nicolas grounded into force out (5-4), Soto scored, House out at second. Demons grounded out (4-3). 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB
Scrappers 4th — Velasquez lined out (L-1). Valdes doubled to left field. Tice struck out swining. Blair singled to second baseman, Valdes scored. With Alcombrack batting, Blair to 2nd on passed ball. Alcombrack grounded out (5-3). 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB
Auburn 5th — Nicolas singled to center field. With Demons batting, Nicolas to 2nd on passed ball. Demons grounded out (5-3). Cooper single to right field, Nicolas scored, Cooper to 2nd on error (E-9). Amar popped out (F-6). Van Kirk popped out (F-2). 1 run, 2 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB