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Scrappers beat Auburn in marathon
Photo
Scrappers Kyle Smith (32) tags Auburn Doubledays Markus Brisker (10) after he tried to steal 3rd base during the first inning, Thursday July 9, 2009
By Joe Scalzo
NILES — There’s going to be some bleary-eyed ballplayers in Batavia tonight.
In the 14th inning of Thursday’s game — after they played “Take me out to the ballgame” for the second seventh-inning stretch — the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (14-7) finally broke through for a 4-3 victory over the Auburn Doubledays in front of 6,006 fans at Eastwood Field.
(Or, more accurately, in front of about 500 brave souls who stuck around for the finish.)
Rafael Vera singled through the right side of the infield to score Chun Chen from third base in 14th, ending a game that lasted four hours, 24 minutes.
It was the Scrappers’ fourth straight win, giving them a boost heading into this weekend’s three-game series at Batavia.
Interestingly, it wasn’t even the longest game in the New York-Penn League Thursday night, as Aberdeen defeated Brooklyn 1-0 in 16 innings.
Kyle Bellows singled to start the 14th, but was forced out at second when Chen reached on a fielder’s choice. Chen stole second and third and, after an intentional walk to Greg Folgia, scored on Vera’s single. As the ball went through, Vera tossed his bat and threw his hands up in the air in celebration (and relief).
It was the Scrappers’ fifth win of the six-game homestand and it came in front of their biggest crowd of the season.
Some of those fans clearly took advantage of $1 beer night, yelling things like “You [stink] ref” (instead of ump) and “Send him back to Lake County,” even though Lake County is (and we’re being technical here) a promotion.
One fan even told someone on the other end of her cell phone, “We’re in overtime.”
Auburn took an early 2-0 lead, scoring runs in the first and sixth innings.
The Scrappers finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth thanks to an RBI single by Jason Smit (scoring Jordan Henry) that made it 2-1.
Two batters later, Chen was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Lurvin Basabe and tie the game at 2.
After Auburn took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 10th, the Scrappers immediately struck back with a run of their own.
Ben Carlson led off the inning with a single and was lifted for pinch-runner Bellows, who stole second. Chen followed with an RBI double to score Bellows and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Folgia.
But Vera grounded out and Tim Palincsar struck out looking to end the threat.
(Palincsar, who didn’t like the call, broke his bat over his leg and was promptly given the rest of the night off to ice his thigh by home plate umpire Nick Lentz.)
The Scrappers had the game-winning run at third base in the 11th and 12th innings but couldn’t get a run in either time.
Former Kent State pitcher Kyle Smith, a 20th-round pick by the Indians in this year’s draft, made his professional debut and gave up one run on two hits in 2 2/3 innings. He walked five and struck out one.
Smith, who hails from nearby Louisville, was a first-team All-Mid-American Conference selection this spring. He had a team-high nine wins and was second on the team with 65 strikeouts.
Nick Kirk (3-0) pitched two perfect innings of relief to get the win, striking out two.
———
AuburnScrappers
abrhbiabrhbi
Eiland lf7000J.Henry cf5120
Brisker cf6000Basabe 2b5100
Glenn 3b2200J.Smit 1b-rf7031
Gomes dh6011Carlson dh4010
Ochinko c2010Bellows pr-dh2110
Ja.Murphy c2010Ch. Chen c6132
Hopkins pr0000Folgia lf5000
Turkamani c0000Vera 3b-1b7041
W.Ramirez rf6121Palincsar rf5000
Durham 1b4000K.Smith 3b1000
J.Frnandez 2b5000Toole ss6010
J.Gonzalez ss6011
Totals46363Totals534154
Auburn10000100010000—3
Scrappers00000200010001—4
Two outs when winning run scored.
E—J.Fernandez (5), Vera (3), J. Smit (1). LOB—Auburn 11, Scrappers 16. 2B—Gomes (4), C. Chen (4). SB—Brisker 2 (6), Durham (2), Bellows (3), Ch. Chen 2 (3). CS—Hopkins (1), Brisker (1). S—Folgia, J. Henry.
IPHRERBBSO
Auburn
Sever5 1-342211
Armstrong220013
Beck1 2-320021
Turnbull231101
W. Mendez220003
Wells L, 1-12-321110
Scrappers
Kyle C. Smith2 2-321151
Urena3 1-321132
V.Nuno3 1-301124
Sturdevant2 2-320003
Kirk W, 3-0200002
HBP—by Ch. Chen (Armstrong). Umpires—Home, Nick Lentz; Bases, Brett Houseman. T—4:24. A—6,006.
HOW THEY SCORED
Doubledays 1st — Eiland strikes out swinging. Brisker reaches on fielding error (E-5). With Glenn batting, Brisker steals 2nd. With Glenn batting, Brisker caught stealing (1-6-5-1). Glenn walks. Gomes doubles to center, Glenn scores. Ochinko walks. Ramirez singles to right, Gomes out at home (9-1). 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 2 LOB.
Doubledays 6th — Ochinko singles to center. Ramirez grounds into fielder’s choice (1-4), Ochinko out at 2nd, Ramirez to 1st. With Durham batting, Ramirez to 2nd on fielding error (E-2). Durham walks. With Fernandez batting, Ramirez steals 3rd, Durham steals 2nd. Gonzalez singles to center, Ramirez scores, Durham to 3rd, Fernandez to 2nd. Eiland strikes out swinging. Brisker pops out (FF-1).
Scrappers 6th — Toole grounds out (6-3). Henry singles to right. Basabe walks, Henry to 2nd. Smit singles to left, Henry scores, Basabe to 2nd. Pitching change: Armstrong replaces Sever. Carlson walks. Basabe to 3rd, Smit to 2nd. Chen hit by pitch, Basabe scores, Smit to 3rd, Carlson to 2nd. Folgia strikes out swinging. Vera strikes out swinging. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
Doubledays 10th — Glenn walks. Gomes pops out (FF-1). Murphy walks, Glenn to 2nd. Pitching change: Sturdevant replaces Nino. Ramirez singles to right, Glenn scores, Murphy to 2nd. Durham strikes out swinging. Fernandez strikes out swinging. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Scrappers 10th — Pitching change: Turnbull replaces Beck. Carlson singles to center. Bellows pinch-runs for Carlson. With Chen batting, Bellows steals 2nd. Chen doubles to right, Bellows scores. Folgia sacrifice bunt, Chen to 3rd. Vera grounds out (5-3). Palincsar strikes out looking. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Scrappers 14th — Pitching change: Wells replaces Mendez. Smit grounds out (6-3). Bellows singles to short. Chen pops into fielder’s choice (4-6), Bellows out at 2nd, Chen to 1st. With Folgia batting, Chen steals 2nd. Folgia walks intentionally. With Vera batting, Chen steals 2nd. Vera singles to right, Chen scores. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.