Bellows home run lifts red-hot Scrappers, 5-3

staff report

TROY, N.Y. — Kyle Bellows hit a two-run home run — his fifth homer of the season — and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers jumped out to an early lead en route to a 5-3 win over the Tri-City Valley Cats in a New York-Penn League game on Wednesday.

The Scrappers (30-17) have won six straight and 10 of the last 12 to open up a 21‚Ñ2-game lead over Williamsport in the Pinckney Division with 29 games remaining.

Kyle Smith scored a pair of runs and Casey Frawley had two hits for Mahoning Valley, which took a 5-0 lead after four innings.

Vidal Nuno (3-0) started and gave up one run over five innings, scattering three hits with three strikeouts and a walk.

Austin Adams gave up two runs in one inning, Jeremy Johnson tossed two scoreless innings and Cory Burns pitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save of the season.

Colton Pitkin (2-7) gave up five runs in four innings to get the loss.

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