9th-inning meltdown

August 9, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

The Scrappers took a 7-3 lead into the final frame, then watched the IronBirds soar to victory

By Chuck Housteau

NILES

The Aberdeen IronBirds ignited for five runs in Sunday’s ninth inning off Mahoning Valley relievers’ Dale Dickerson and J.D Goryl to post an 8-7 victory at Eastwood Field.

“That was brutal,” Scrappers manager Travis Fryman said. “Any loss is brutal but especially in this homestand where we’ve swung the bats fairly well.”

Dickerson, who got the Scrappers out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning with a strikeout and ground out, walked Aberdeen’s first two batters to start the ninth inning.

Goryl came in and also had trouble finding the strike zone. Goryl struck out the first batter he faced, but then gave up back-to-back singles after getting behind in the count, Those runs sliced the lead to 7-4.

Goryl then walked the bases full again and gave up a bases-clearing double to Austin Knight that put the IronBirds ahead.

Mahoning Valley (19-31) went quietly in the ninth to turn a promising homestand into another loss.

Fryman was extremely upset with his relief pitchers’ efforts.

“We’ve had trouble with some guys throwing strikes,” Fryman said. “If you can’t throw strikes, you can’t play baseball — bottom line.

“We’ll find somebody who can [throw strikes] if they can’t.”

The relief effort ruined an impressive start for the Scrappers’ All-Star Owen Dew who pitched a strong five innings and was cruising 6-2 when he left the game.

The night started promising for the Scrappers who broke out to a 6-0 lead in the second inning.

Chase Burnette opened the inning with a double and after Jesus Aguilar walked, Diego Seastrunk hit a three-run homer over the bullpen wall in right field.

The rally continued when another Scrappers All-Star, Dan DeGeorge, reached base on an error.

Aaron Fields walked and Carlos Moncrief singled to load the bases.

Nick Bartolone, a recently-signed sixth-round draft choice who joined the team on Saturday and was making his first start, singled to drive in two runs.

Giovanny Urshela hit a sacrifice fly to left to score the Scrappers‘ final run of the inning.

Mahoning Valley tacked on another run in the seventh after Aberdeen made the score 6-2.

Urshela doubled and came around to score on a double by Aguilar.

The Scrappers will try to avenge the loss today in a rare weekday afternoon game to close out the series.

Indians hurler Mitch Talbot will start on the mound for Mahoning Valley in a rehab start.

The Scrappers will leave for a road trip to Staten Island following the game.

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AberdeenScrappers

abrhbiabrhbi

Mummey cf3100Moncrief cf5130

Starr 2b4100Bartoione ss5022

Schutz lf5110Urshela 3b4111

Gaylord 3b5232Burnette lf5120

Anders dh4123Aguilar 1b2121

Moore pr-dh0100Seastrunk c4113

Rauch 1b3121Heere cf4010

Knight rf4013DeGeorge 2b4100

Ricardo c 2000Fields dh 3100

Nowak ph 1000

Oliveira c 1000

Rooney ss 4020

Totals368118Totals367127

Aberdeen000200015—8

Scrappers060000100—7

E—Rauch (4), Rooney (6), Burnette (5). DP—Aberdeen 3, Scrappers 1. LOB—Aberdeen 6, Scrappers 9. 2B—Rauch (3), Schutz (7), Knight (2), Burnette (11), Heere (3), Urshela (7), Aguilar (4). HR—Seastrunk (3), Anderson (9).

SB—Moncrief (6). .

IPHRERBBSO

Aberdeen

Adleman366432

Rasner2 2-340000

Barajas1 1-321101

Keating W, 3-3200000

Scrappers

Dew562203

Rosario200030

Ramirez 1-321120

Dickerson H 32-302221

Goryl BS 1, L, 1-3133311

Umpires—Home, Aaron Reynolds; Bases, John Burzynski. T—3:05. A—3,159.