Scrappers can’t get big hit in the ninth

Mahoning Valley, playing its fourth straight game against a division leader, fell to the Lowell Spinners, 6-5, Friday.

By CHUCK HOUSTEAU

VINDICATOR SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

NILES — Mahoning Valley manager Travis Fryman couldn’t had asked for a better situation with his team trailing the Lowell Spinners by a run in the ninth inning.

The Scrappers had rallied from a 6-3 deficit to cut the lead to 6-5 and had runners on second and third with only one out and the team’s two best hitters coming to plate.

Recent addition Jason Kipnis grounded to second with the Lowell infield drawn in for the second out and Kyle Bellows laced a line drive to right center that the right fielder chased down and caught to end the game with Mahoning Valley on the short end of the score.

“We battled,” said Fryman. “We do that well. We play hard for 27 outs and we gave ourselves a chance to win the ball game.”

Fryman said things looked good with Kipnis and Bellows coming to the plate with the game-winning run at second base.

“Kipnis had a tremendous swing at the first pitch before grounding out,” Fryman said, “and Bellows has been hitting great all year and put a good swing on the ball.”

The ninth inning rally started when Casey Frawley led off with a walk and moved to second on a ground out by Chun Chen.

Jesus Brito laced a double to left to score Frawley and Jordan Henry walked to put runners on first and second with one out.

Rafael Vera doubled to score Brito to cut the lead to 6-5 before Lowell brought Michael Bugary out of the bullpen.

Lowell (31-23) won the battle of Division leaders in the New York-Penn League because of some shoddy defense again by the Scrappers.

The deciding run came in the top of the eighth inning on a pickoff throw by MV pitcher Tyler Sturdevant that got away from first baseman Ben Carlson. Carlson was charged with an error when Wilfred Pichardo scored from third to give Lowell a 6-3 lead.

The Spinners also got four unearned runs off Mahoning Valley starter Preston Guilmet in the third inning to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead.

With two out, Mahoning Valley shortstop Kyle Smith mishandled a tough slow roller and that opened the flood gates for Lowell to take the lead.

Guilmet (5-3) then allowed a walk, an RBI single and a two-run double before departing with his shortest outing of the year.

“Preston has been pitching really well,” said Fryman. “He wasn’t real sharp tonight.

“You’re allowed to have a bad outing once in a while.”

Fryman said that defense and situational hitting must improve down the stretch for the Scrappers to get better.

“That was a tough chance for Kyle,” Fryman said of his all-star shortstop’s error. “He’s been solid all year.”

Smith was shaken up on the play and left the game after that inning. His injury status wasn’t known.

Mahoning Valley scored twice in the first inning when Bellows single scored Henry and Smith scored on an error.

Greg Folgia belted his third homer of the year in the sixth inning for the Scrappers third run.

———

LowellScrappers

abrhbiabrhbi

Pichardo lf4210Henry cf4110

Bermudez cf4100Smith ss1100

Westmore dh2100Vera ss3011

McGuiness 1b4223Kipnis lf5010

Almanzar 3b4012Bellows dh5011

Hassan rf4000Folgia rf4111

Butler c4000Carlson 1b4010

Di Benedet 2b4010Frawley 2b3100

Garcia ss3000Chen c3010

Brito 3b4121

Totals33655Totals36594

Lowell014000010—6

Scrappers200001002—5

E—Hassan (1), Smith (7), Carlson (5). DP—None. LOB—Lowell 2, Scrappers 8. SB—Henry (15). 2B—Di Benedetto (2), Almanzar (3), Pichardo (6), Brito (2), Vera (5). 3B—Kipnis (2). HR—McGuiness (6), Folgia (3).

IPHRERBBSO

Lowell

Pressly W, 4-3552225

Batista H, 23 1-343322

Bugary S, 12-300000

Scrappers

Guilmet L, 5-3345111

Packer300002

Sturdevant311115

Umpires—Home, Brian Debraywere; Bases, Jose Rivera. T—2:35. A—4,244.

HOW THEY SCORED

Scrappers, 1st — Henry singles to center field. Smith walks, Henry takes second. Kipnis flies out to center fielder. With Bellows batting, Henry steals third. Bellows singles to right field, Henry and Smith score after error by right fielder, Bellows takes second. Folgia flies out to, Bellows to third. Carlson pops out to third baseman. 2 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.

Lowell, 2nd — McGuiness homers to right. Almanzar pops out to shortstop. Hassan pops out. Butler lines out to third baseman. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Lowell, 3rd — Di Benedetto doubles to left field. Garcia pops out to first baseman. Pichardo reaches on a fielder’s choice (shortstop to second). Bermudez reaches on fielding error by Smith, Pichardo to second. Westmoreland walks, Pichardo to third, Bermudez to second. McGuiness singles to right field, Pichardo and Bermudez score, Westmoreland to third. Almanzar doubles to center field, Westmoreland and McGuiness score. Hassan strikes out. 4 runs, 3 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.

Scrappers, 6th — (Pitcher Change: Batista replaces Pressly.) Folgia homers to right field. Carlson singles to right field. Frawley flies out to right fielder. Chen flies out. Brito lines out to left fielder. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Lowell, 8th — Pichardo doubles to left field. Bermudez grounds out to shortstop, Pichardo to third. Westmoreland intentionally walked. With McGuiness batting, Carlson makes an error on a pickoff attempt, Pichardo scores. McGuiness flies out to center fielder. Almanzar grounds out to shortstop. 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 LOB.

Scrappers, 9th — Frawley walks. Chen grounds out to third baseman, Frawley to second. Brito doubles to left field, Frawley scores. Henry walks, Vera doubles to left field, Brito scores, Henry to third. (Pitcher Change: Bugary replaces Batista). Kipnis grounds out to second baseman. Bellows lines out to right fielder. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.