No runs for MV in series finale

July 20, 2010 at 12:08a.m.

By JOE SCALZO

NILES

With his team in a hitting slump — and a winning slump — Scrappers manager Travis Fryman has tried to get creative over the past few days, giving his team extra batting practice and setting up competitive drills before the game, all in hopes of finding a spark.

He’s still searching.

Mahoning Valley didn’t get a hit in its first six innings en route to a 3-0 loss to the Williamsport Crosscutters on Monday at Eastwood Field.

“I’ve had to talk with them this week about approaching each day as a new day,” said Fryman. “Really, there’s just one goal and that’s to try to do what you can to help your team win today’s game.

“That’s just the best way to play the game and resist the temptation to become selfish, which is what happens when you’re on teams that get beat.”

Carlos Moncrief, who has been one of the few offensive bright spots over the past week, had two hits for Mahoning Valley (12-19), which is in last place in the New York-Penn League’s Pinckney Division.

Moncrief admitted the team was aware of the no-hitter.

“We saw it,” he said. “I saw it back in the third or fourth inning, but it’s happened to us a few times this season.

“I knew we’d come through with a hit somewhere.”

Chase Burnette, the only Scrapper with a batting average above .300, ended the drought with a single up the middle to start the seventh inning.

Jordan Casas had the other hit to extend his hitting streak to 10 straight games.

The Scrappers are batting a league-low .228 and don’t have a hitter among the league leaders.

“A lot of it hinges on where the draft lies, who you sign, who gets here, were their injuries up above you, did you lose a couple guys you thought might come here,” said Fryman, who led the Scrappers to the league’s best record last summer. “We’re physically probably the smallest team we’ve played this year and that’s reflective in our slugging percentage and we’re not particularly fast. So, typically if you don’t hit home runs you can run a bit but we don’t run that well.”

Fryman said his emphasis is on trying to keep his players thinking of each other and not themselves.

“The attitude begins to be, ‘Hey, we’re not playing well but I’m going to get mine,’” he said. “And that’s bad for any team at any level. I’ve seen that at the big league level and it happens at the minor league level, too.

“The worst thing in the world is for guys to turn selfish. It’s a hard game. We’re just going to have to work harder.”

That’s the approach taken by Moncrief, who is starting to see improvement after a frustrating spring. Much of it is due to his transition to the outfield after pitching the past two seasons.

“I’ve been working since the end of March and right now I feel like my normal self again,” he said. “I don’t want to speak too soon, though, so I’m just going to stay humble and keep going.”

WilliamsportScrappers

abrhbiabrhbi

Hernan 2b5110Casas cf4010

McCnnll ss3110Fontnez ss1000

Alvarez lf4020Heere lf3000

Rupp dh5123Brnette 1b4010

Dabbs rf5010Urshela 3b4000

Lanning c3000Moncrief rf3020

Cusick 1b4010Montero c4000

Alonso 3b2010Kinney dh4000

Hudson cf4010DeGrge 2b1000

Totals353103Totals28040

Williamsport100001100—3

Scrappers000000000—0

E—Hudson (1). DP—Scrappers 1. LOB—Williamsport 11, Scrappers 8. 2B—Alvarez 2 (9), Cusick (8), Hernandez (6), Rupp (6), Hudson (4). HR—Rupp (4). SB—Alvarez (7). CS—Alonso (1), DeGeorge (2).

IPHRERBBSO

Williamsport

Fritsch W, 1-0500042

Rodriguez330024

Pettis S, 1110002

Scrappers

Wetmore L, 0-45 1-362230

Ramirez1 2-321120

Nakamura220002

WP—Nakamura. Umpires—Home, Carlose Torres; Bases, Shane Livensparger. T—2:41. A—2,563.