Scrappers lose to Batavia, 7-3

NILES — It wasn’t the homecoming the Mahoning Valley Scrappers were looking for coming off of a very successful 5-1 road trip but it was just one loss.

The Batavia Muckdogs rode two home runs by Slippery Rock native Mathew Adams and a solid pitching performance by Daniel Calhoun to turn back the Scrappers 7-3 before 2,192 fans at Eastwood Field on Tuesday night.

Mahoning Valley (41-23) stranded 10 baserunners and left the bases loaded in the fourth and sixth innings.

That left the Scrappers magic number at 7 to clinch first place in the Pinkney Division of the New York-Penn League. Mahoning Valley leads second place Williamsport by six games with 13 games left in the season.

“We just couldn’t get that one big hit to put us over the hump and get us back in the game,” said Scrappers center fielder Jason Kipnis. “We could have used it tonight. It was unfortunate.”

Kipnis was one of three Scrappers to get two hits along with leadoff batter Jordan Henry and Casey Frawley.

“We left a lot of runners out on the bases,” said Scrappers manager Travis Fryman. “Their kid [Daniel Calhoun] pitched a heck of a ball game.

“We had several opportunities though that if we could have gotten some of those runners in it would have been a more interesting game.”

The Scrappers didn’t get the quality start from pitcher Preston Guilmet that they have gotten from their starters all season long.

Guilmet (6-4, 3.25 ERA) gave up eight hits and five earned runs in five innings on the mound.

Guilmet, who has given up only five home runs in 58 innings this season, surrendered two to Adams.

Adams’ first blast was a solo shot to right field in the fourth inning that gave Batavia a 2-0 lead. In the fifth inning, Adams hit a mammoth blast to center field with a runner on to help the Muckdogs open up a 6-2 lead.

Adams also had a double and four RBIs before a small contingent of family and friends.

“Preston got the ball up a little tonight,” Fryman said. “And that kid Adams had a pretty good night.”

The Scrappers rallied in the fourth inning to tie the game at 2-2 after Frawley and Kipnis opened the inning with singles. Chun Chen then hit a grounder to the pitcher who tried to turn it into a double play but the shortstop misplayed the throw into an error that allowed Frawley to score. Jesus Brito later delivered an RBI single to plate Kipnis with the tying run.

Down 6-2, Mahoning Valley got another run in the seventh when Henry led off with a double and moved to third on a single by Frawley. Henry came home on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 6-3.

Fryman said the Scrappers are poised to stay strong down the stretch despite injuries to three of his starters.

Jason Smit is out for the season and so is all-star shortstop Kyle Smith. Third baseman Kyle Bellows could return in time for the playoffs but his status is uncertain.

“I like how we are playing right now,” said Fryman whose team won five of six games on the road coming out of the All-Star break.

With 41 wins, Mahoning Valley is poised to break the all-time Scrappers wins mark of 48 set by the 2000 team.

———

BataviaScrappers

abrhbiabrhbi

Swinson cf5220J.Henry dh5120

Goodwin 2b3010Frawley 2b5120

Ahmady 3b5123Kipnis cf5020

Adams 1b5234Ch.Chen c4100

Edwards rf4000Folgia lf4000

Gomez lf4010Carlson 1b3000

DeLaCruz c4000Je.Brito 3b3011

N.Vasquez dh4000Vera ss3000

R.Jackson ss4230Palincsar rf4010

Totals387127Totals37381

Batavia100140001—7

Scrappers000200100—3

E—R. Jackson (9), Edwards (2), Je. Brito (2). LOB—Batavia 6, Scrappers 10. 2B—Swinson (5), Adams (9), R. Jackson (4), Gomez (1), J. Henry (9). HR—Adams 2 (4). S—Goodwin.

IPHRERBBSO

Batavia

D.Calhoun W,2-0552113

Rosales1 1-321122

J.Squatrito H,21 2-310004

Mayes100001

Scrappers

Guilmet L,6-4586514

Packer320005

Fonseca121101

WP—Rosales. HBP—by Rosales (Carlson). Umpires—Home, Brett Houseman; Bases, Nick Lentz. T—2:37. A—2,181.

HOW THEY SCORED

Batavia 1st — Swinson doubles to center field. Goodwin walks. Ahmady flies out to center fielder. Adams doubles to left field, Swinson scores, Goodwin out at home (7-6-2). Edwards strikes out. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Batavia 4th — Adams homers to right field. Edwards strikes out. Gomez doubles to left field. De La Cruz grounds out to first baseman, Gomez to 3rd. Vasquez strikes out. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Scrappers 4th — Frawley singles to second baseman. Kipnis singles to right field, Frawley to 3rd. Chen reaches 2nd on error (E-6), Frawley scores, Kipnis to 3rd. Folgia grounds out to shortstop. Carlson reaches on fielder’s choice (5-2), Kipnis out at home, Chen to 3rd. Brito singles to right field, Chen scores, Carlson to 2nd. Vera walks, Carlson to 3rd, Brito to 2nd. Palincsar grounds out to third baseman. 2 runs, 3 hits, 1 error, 3 LOB.

Batavia 5th — Jackson reaches 1st on error (E-5). Swinson singles to right field, Jackson to 2nd. Goodwin out on sacrifice bunt (1-4), Jackson to 3rd, Swinson to 2nd. Ahmady singles to center field, Jackson and Swinson score. Adams homers to center field, Ahmady scores. Edwards grounds out to pitcher. Gomez flies out to center fielder. 4 runs, 3 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB.

Scrappers 7th — Henry doubles to left field. Frawley singles to right field, Henry to 3rd. Kipnis pops out to shortstop. Henry scores on wild pitch by Rosales, Frawley to 2nd. Chen walks. (Pitching change: Squatrito replaces Rosales.) Folgia strikes out. Carlson strikes out. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Batavia 9th — (Pitching change: Fonseca replaces Packer.) Jackson singles on bunt to first baseman. Swinson grounds out to second baseman, Jackson to 2nd. Goodwin pops out to shortstop. Ahmady singles to center field, Jackson scores. Adams strikes out. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.