Burnette powers Scrappers past Staten Island

Staff report

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.

Chase Burnette doubled, homered and drove in three runs to help the Mahoning Valley Scrappers beat the Staten Island Yankees 7-3 in a New York-Penn League game Tuesday night.

Burnette’s solo homer in the first inning gave him eight home runs this season, which ties him for fifth in the NYPL. His 12 doubles this season also put him among the league’s top 20.

Dan DeGeorge doubled twice, scoring one run and driving in another while Brian Heere had two singles and scored a run and Carlos Moncrief tripled and scored twice.

Starter Jordan Cooper (3-3) pitched five innings of three-hit ball, striking out three while giving up a solo homer.

Takafumi Nakamura pitched the final four innings, giving up two runs on two hits with six strikeouts. He ran into trouble in the eighth when he gave up both runs, allowing the Yankees to cut their deficit to 4-3.

But the Scrappers responded with three runs in the top of the ninth to put the game away and help Nakamura earn his first save of the season.

Mahoning Valley (21-31) has a half-game lead over last-place Auburn in the Pinckney Division standings.

The Scrappers’ 10-15 road mark is the second-worst in the NYPL behind Lowell (8-21).

Mahoning Valley has two more games in Staten Island followed by three in Lowell.

ScrappersStaten Island

abrhbiabrhbi

Moncrf rf2210Sosa cf4111

Brtlone ss5111Lassiter 3b4110

Urshela 3b4012Roller 1b3010

Brnette lf5123De Leon rf1000

Aguilar 1b4000Brown rf2000

Montero c3000Ferraro lf4000

Fontan dh4110Mojica ss4000

Heere cf3120Stvnson dh4010

DeGrge 2b 4121Parache 2b3000

Farnham c2110

Totals347107Totals31351

Scrappers200020003—7

Staten Island001000020—3

DP—Aberdeen 0, Scrappers 1. LOB—Scrappers 7, Staten Island 4. 2B—DeGeorge 2 (5), Burnette (12), Roller (10), Lassiter (2). 3B—Moncrief (2). HR—Burnette (8), Sosa (2). PB—Farnham (3). PO—Montero.

IPHRERBBSO

Scrappers

Cooper W, 3-3531123

Nakamura S, 1422216

Staten Island

Varce L, 0-5544324

Jernstad220023

Kahnle100002

Claiborne143311

WP—Nakamura 2. Umpires—Home, Chris Tipton; Bases, Ryan Bealo. T—2:49. A—2,387.