Scrappers blank the Crosscutters to end skid

August 1, 2010 at 12:06a.m.

By JIM FLICK

NILES

In what Scrappers manager Travis Fryman called “the best game we’ve played all year,” Mahoning Valley defeated the Williamsport Crosscutters 5-0 on Saturday night at Eastwood Field.

The game was scoreless until the sixth inning when third baseman Giovanny Urshela blasted a two-run homer.

The Scrappers (16-26) scored three more runs in the eighth inning when they slapped four hits. Among them was a double by shortstop Kevin Fontanez, which drove home a run.

A sacrifice fly by left fielder Brian Heere and a single by first baseman Chase Burnette also brought runs to the plate.

Starting pitcher Kirk Wetmore (1-5) pitched six strong innings for Mahoning Valley to earn his first win as the Scrappers ended a two-game losing streak.

Wetmore struck out five Crosscutters, including four consecutive batters when he struck out the last batter of the fourth inning then struck out the side in the fifth.

The relief corps blanked the Crosscutters (25-17) in the final three innings. Kyle Smith pitched the seventh and eighth innings for the Scrappers, and J.D. Goryl finished up in the ninth.

“There were a lot of positives for us tonight,” Fryman said. “Pitching was good, situational hitting was good.”

Williamsport recorded only one hit in the first seven innings. But trailing 2-0, they almost battled back in the eighth. The Crosscutters smacked three singles to load the bases with two outs.

Smith struck out Edgar Duran to end the threat.

Fryman also praised the Scrappers defense, pointing out “things might have turned out differently” if not for two key defensive plays in the first inning.”

Cesar Hernandez led off the game by tapping an infield grounder which first baseman Burnette snagged and ran to the bag for a tough first out of the game.

The Crosscutters’ next batter, Duran, smashed a wicked line drive down the third base line. Urshela caught it for the game’s second out.

Fryman said Wetmore seemed to grow stronger as the game went on.

“He found some strength and got comfortable,” Fryman said.

Urshela also earned praise from the manager.

“He’s someone I really look forward to working with,” Fryman said, adding about the homer: “We needed it.

“We’ve been struggling to score runs. And then to be able to add more runs was outstanding.”

WilliamsportScrappers

abrhbiabrhbi

Hernand2b4020Heere lf2001

Duran ss4000Fontanez ss4121

Alvarez cf2000Urshela 3b4122

Rupp c4000Burnette 1b4011

Santana rf3000Martinez rf4010

Lanning dh3000Seastrunk c3010

Cusick 1b3010Rucker rf3000

Smith 3b3000Moncrief cf3110

McConnl lf3010Fields 2b3220

Totals29040Totals305105

Williamsport000000000—0

Scrappers00000303x—5

DP—Williamsport 1. LOB—Williamsport 5, Scrappers 3. 2B— Fontanez (8). HR—Urshela (1).

SB—Alvarez (10). CS—Santana (3), Alvarez (7), Urshela (2). S—Skirving, Gourley. S—Heere. SF—Heere.

IPHRERBBSO

Williamsport

Angelle L, 3-1662203

Sampson2 43301

Scrappers

Wetmore W, 1-5610025

Smith H, 1230014

Goryl100014

WP—Angelle. Umpires—Home, Andy Draper; Bases, Eric Gilliam. T—2:09. A—3,127.