Blowout closes Scrappers' regular season

By Greg Gulas

Warren Harding graduate Justin Byler homered in State College’s 14-4 win.

NILES — Playing eight games in six days, including back-to-back doubleheaders last Wednesday and Thursday, finally caught up to the best team in the New York-Penn League.

In the regular season finale, State College (38-38) pounded out 17 hits, courtesy of five Mahoning Valley (49-27) pitchers as the Spikes defeated the Scrappers, 14-4, Sunday at Eastwood Field.

Among the barrage of safeties were three round-trippers, including one off the bat of Warren Harding High graduate Justin Byler.

Byler ended the season tied for the team lead with six circuit clouts. His three-run blast in the eighth inning highlighted a six-run uprising for the Spikes to give him a team best 41 RBIs.

Byler, who did not play last year due to a freak arm injury suffered in spring training, is scheduled for surgery within the next several weeks to take the plate and pins out from that initial operation.

He’s happy that he and the Spikes were able to finish the season on a high note.

“After winning just 18 games last season, to finish with 38 wins this year and be at .500 overall is truly a great accomplishment,” Byler said. “We’ll go into next season now knowing that we can build off of this finish and just keep improving from there.

“It was also nice to finally have a good game at Eastwood Field,” Byler said.

With more than 30 requests from family and friends for tickets Byler didn’t disappoint those in attendance.

State College manager Gary Robinson, however, has been impressed with Byler’s leadership all season long — both on the field and in the clubhouse.

“Justin’s been a pleasure to have because he is an excellent teammate and a true leader,” Robinson said. “He doesn’t like to be called a leader, but I continue to tease him about that title because it is so very true.

“I got to know him in extended spring training and can tell you that he [Byler] is an extremely hard worker, which makes his comeback season all the more special,” Robinson said.

It didn’t take the Spikes long to get on the board as Evan Chambers’ two-run clout, his fourth of the season, highlighted a three-run first inning.

State College pushed the lead to 4-0 in the third on a Craig Parry triple and Kyle Saukko sacrifice fly, It was 6-0 in the fifth on an Aaron Baker two-run shot, his third of the campaign.

“With two doubleheaders last week, it just took away many of our pitching options,” Scrappers manager Travis Fryman said. “We definitely looked fatigued and a good part of that came from playing so many games during such a short stretch.

“We asked Tim Palincsar, an outfielder, to close out the game in the ninth inning because we were out of pitching,” Fryman said.

The Scrappers’ second season begins Tuesday in Brooklyn when they will meet the Cyclones at 7 p.m. in Game 1 of a best-of-three semifinal playoff series.

Game 2 will be played Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. at Eastwood Field.

State CollegeScrappers

abrhbiabrhbi

Holt ss5330Henry cf5010

Chambers cf5222Frawley 2b-r5020

Byler dh5323Kipnis lf4000

Benitez dh1000Folgia dh1010

Baker 1b6233Chen dh2000

Rubenstein rf5132Martinez 2b0000

Biela rf1000Chen c3100

Irvine 3b4111Brito 3b3120

Summedin 3b1000Carlson 1b2100

Gonzalez 2b5010Montero c0000

Parry c5121Vera ss4000

Saukko lf3101Aponte c-1b4131

Totals46141713Totals33491

State College310021061—14

Scrappers000003010—4

DP—State College 2, Scrappers 1. LOB—State College 10, Scrappers 8. 2B—Rubenstein (13), Holt (14), Baker (2), Irvine (10), Aponte (4). 3B—Parry (1). HR—Palincsar (3), Chambers (4), Baker (3), Byler (6). SB—None.

IPHRERBBSO

State College

Inman220002

Erickson W, 4-2432112

Foster211111

Garcia111011

Scrappers

Guilmet L, 6-51 2-354412

Johnson 332102

Kirk 345415

Packer 1-342201

Palincsar 111011

WP—Erickson, Guilmet. HBP—Folgia (by Inman), Carlson (by Erickson), MKontero (by Foster), Irvine (by Johnson) Umpires—Home, Jose Rivera; Bases, Brian Debrayware. T—2:16. A—2,586.

HOW THEY SCORED

State College, 1st — Brock Holt singles to center field, advances to second on a wild pitch by Preston Guilmet. Evan Chambers homers to left field. Justin Byler singles to left field. Aaron Baker strikes out.

David Rubinstein doubles to center field, Byler scores. Pat Irvine flies out to left fielder Jason Kipnis. Elevys Gonzalez strikes out. 3 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

State College, 2nd — Craig Parry triples to right fieldr. Kyle Saukko out on a sacrifice fly to Kipnis., Parry scores. Brock Holt grounds out, Guilmet to first baseman Ben Carlson. Evan Chambers walks.

Pitcher change: Jeremy Johnson replaces Guilmet.

Byler grounds out, second baseman Casey Frawley to Carlson. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

State College, 5th — Byler reaches on throwing error by third baseman Jesus Brito. Baker homers to right field. Rubinstein singles to right field. Irvine hit by pitch, Rubenstein advances to second. Gonzalez grounds into double play, Frawley to shortstop Rafael Vera to Carlson, Rubinstein advances to third. Pitcher change: Nick Kirk replaces Johnson. Parry grounds out, Carlson to Kirk. 2 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.

State College, 6th — Saukko walks. Holt reaches on throwing error by third baseman Jesus Brito, Saukko scores. Evan Chambers flies out to right fielder Tim Palincsar. Byler strikes out. Baker strikes out. 1 run, 0 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.

Scrappers, 6th —

Brito singles to left field and is thrown out at second by Saukko to Gonzalez. Carlson hit by pitch.

Vera flies out to Saukko. Juan Aponte doubles to left field, Carlson advances to third. Palincsar homers to left field. Henry grounds out, shortstop Brock Holt to first baseman Aaron Baker.

State College, 8th — Parry flies out to Kipnis.

Saukko strikes out. Holt singles to left field.Chambers singles to center field, Holt advances to second. Byler homers to left field. Baker doubles to center field. Pitcher change: Matt Packer replaces Kirk. Rubinstein singles to center field, Baker scores, Rubinstein takes second on throw. Irvine doubles to center field, Rubinstein scores.

Gonzalez singles to right field, Irvine advances to third. Parry singles to left field, Irvine scores, Gonzalez advances to second. Saukko strikes out. 6 runs, 8 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB

Scrappers, 8th — Brito walks. Montero hit by pitch, Brito advances to second. Vera grounds into double play, shortstop Holt to second baseman Gonzalez to first baseman Baker, Brito advances to third. Aponte singles to center field, Brito scores. Palincsar flies out to Saukko in foul territory. 1 run,

1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

State College, 9th — Palincsar replaces Matt Packer. Holt walks. Chambers reaches on fielding error by Vera, Holt advances to second. Pinch hitter Deybis Benitez grounds into a force out, Vera to second baseman Argenis Martinez, Holt advances to third. Baker doubles to left field, Holt scores, Benitez advances to third. Pinch hitter Butch Biela pops out to Aponte in foul territory. Pinch hitter Ty Summerlin strikes out. 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 2 LOB.