Scrappers hang on in the ninth to edge Batavia, 2-1

Photo by: Special to The Vindicator/Mark Stahl

Photo

Scrapper pitcher (35) Vidal Nudo throws out Batavia's (10) Guillermo Toribio after a bunt.

The Scrappers had a 2-0 lead before the Muckdogs loaded the bases with no outs. Reliever Cory Burns got the outs.

By TOM WILLIAMS

Vindicator sports staff

NILES — By loading the bases with none out in the ninth inning, the Batavia Muckdogs came all-so-close to an explosive comeback that would have doused the Scrappers’ Fireworks Night excitement.

Reliever Cory Burns recovered by inducing a double play plus a flyball that right fielder Jason Smit stabbed after he slipped then leapt to preserve the Scrappers’ 2-1 victory Friday before 4,282 fans at Eastwood Field.

“It was kind of scary so I was really relieved when he caught it,” said Scrappers starter Vidal Nuno (2-0) after his second start and first in four weeks.

Scrappers first baseman Ben Carlson, whose fifth-inning homer snapped a scoreless game, called the Muckdogs’ final at-bat “crazy. They really didn’t hit the ball too hard, they found some holes.

“But Cory has done it all year, coming back and shutting teams down,” Carlson said. “I had confidence he was going to get it done. It was an exciting game.

“Jason made it kind of interesting after he slipped in right and ended up making a good grab,” Carlson said. “The grass was wet.”

Nuno gave up one hit in the six innings he pitched, a first-inning two-out single by Alan Ahmady. He struck out three, walked one and retired the final 14 batters he faced.

“It felt really good because I had good command today,” Nuno said. “I was just moving the ball in and out, trying to get ahead of the batters.”

Scrappers manager Travis Fryman said Nuno “had a pretty impressive performance. He’s pitched well out of the ‘pen for us.”

Fryman said the Scrappers moved Nuno into the rotation because Kyle C. Smith “is going through a dead-arm phase.

“We weren’t expecting to get that many innings out of [Nuno] tonight,” Fryman said. “He could not have pitched any better. His breaking ball is sharp, he changes speeds extremely well. You saw a lot of [Muckdogs] hitters either out in front or behind.”

The Scrappers needed every out Nuno recorded as Muckdogs starter Christopher Corrigan matched Nuno with four scoreless innings.

Carlson ended the tie on the fifth pitch of the Scrappers’ fifth at-bat. Facing a 2-2 count from Corrigan, Carlson drilled the pitch off the roof of the building behind the right-field bullpen for a 1-0 lead.

“I wasn’t even looking to pull [the pitch],” Carlson said. “I had two strikes on me and I actually was trying to go the other way.

“He missed trying to come in on me and I reacted,” said Carlson of his second homer of the season, both against the Muckdogs. “I really wasn’t trying to get a big hit.”

Carlson agreed the Scrappers were lifted by scoring first.

“We’ve had a lot of games where it’s been 0-0 in the fifth or sixth inning,” Carlson said. “Always, a big hit is going to give a team confidence.”

Fryman said Carlson has been working hard struggling with a .230 batting average.

“It’s been very frustrating for him,” Fryman said. “He has high expectations for himself.

Moments after Carlson’s homer, the Scrappers scored an unearned run for a 2-0 lead.

Smit walked, stole second base and came home when Muckdogs shortstop Ryan Jackson threw wildly to first trying to get an inning-ending double play.

Nuno said he was boosted by the two-run cushion.

“I felt really confident,” Nuno said. “Our bullpen has been good all year long.”

Nuno said he’s comfortable with whatever role pitching coach Ken Rowe assigns him.

“Starting is fine, but wherever they want to put me in I’ll be happy with that,” Nuno said.

Guido Fonseca tossed two scoreless innings before giving way to Burns.

Thanks to their three hits in the ninth, the Muckdogs outhit the Scrappers, 5-4.

BataviaScrappers

abrhbiabrhbi

Ingram cf4010J.Henry cf4000

R.Jackson ss4010K.Smith ss3000

Ahmady 3b4020Bellows 3b4000

Scruggs 1b3000Ch.Chen dh3000

Ry.Rdrguez rf4000Folgia lf4010

N.Vasquez dh2000Carlson 1b3111

De La Cruz c3000J.Smit rf2110

Ja.Martinez lf3000Frawley 2b3010

Toribio 2b3110D.Childs c1000

Totals30150Totals27241

Batavia000000001—1

Scrappers00002000x—2

E—R. Jackson (5). DP—Scrappers 1. LOB—Batavia 4, Scrappers 6. HR—Carlson (2). SB—J. Smit (7). CS—Scruggs (1), D. Childs (1).

IPHRERBBSO

Batavia

Corrigon L,0-24 1-322132

Bravo2-300001

Leach320011

Scrappers

V.Nuno W,23-0610013

Fonseca H,6210001

Burns S,5131100

HBP—by Bravo (D. Childs), by Burns (Scruggs). Umpires—Home, Kiff Kinkade; Bases, Matt Jones. T—2:19. A—4,282.

HOW THEY SCORED

Scrappers, 5th — Ben Carlson homered over the right-field fence. Jason Smit walked. With Casey Frawley batting, Smit stole second base. Frawley lined out to third baseman Alan Ahmady. Muckdogs manager Mark DeJohn relieved starter Chris Corrigan with Jonny Bravo. Dwight Childs takes first after being hit by Bravo. Jordan Henry hit a fielder’s choice to shortstop Ryan Jackson who retired Childs. Jackson’s wild throw to first base allowed Smit to score. Kyle Smith struck out. 2 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 LOB.

Batavia, 9th — Guillermo Toribio singled to right-center field. D’Marcus Ingram hit an infield single, Toribio takes second. Ryan Jackson bunted for an infield single to load the bases. Ahmady hits groundball to shortstop Kyle Smith. The double play retires Jackson and Ahmady while Toribio scores and Ingram takes third. Xavier Scruggs is hit by a pitch. Ryde Rodriguez lined out to right fielder Jason Smit. 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

williams@vindy.com