Scrappers fall to Lowell in rain-delayed game

Photo by: Nick Mays

Photo

Mahoning Valley’s KC Serna is upended by Lowell’s Travis Shaw during a New York-Penn League game Thursday at Eastwood Field in Niles. The Scrappers fell to the Spinners, 10-7.

By Jon Moffett

sports@vindy.com

NILES

If there is one theme for the 2011 Mahoning Valley Scrappers, it’s probably a lot like that of their parent organization.

It seems as if at no point a game is ever truly in doubt or out of reach. The young team has had several come-from-behind victories and has snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on many occasions. But Thursday just wasn’t the Scrappers’ night.

The Scrappers fell to the Lowell Spinners 10-7 at Eastwood Field after a heavy storm delayed the game 45 minutes. If the extended delay didn’t damper spirits, the grinder of a game sure did. The game clock read three hours and 31 minutes after the final pitch. Still, a crowd of 3,507 was on hand — though dollar beers and a post-game concert may have had a lot to do with it.

The Scrappers (22-18) looked waterlogged in the beginning — another common theme this season. It was a game the Scrappers looked like they’d lose, then appeared destined to win only to falter again in the end.

Mahoning Valley trailed 4-0 after the first half-inning. Starting pitcher Mason Radeke allowed the earned runs on four hits to start the game. The home team answered back with one run in the first when Tony Wolters, who singled and stole second base before landing on third, scored on a wild pitch.

Radeke (no decision) settled down after the rocky first. The right-hander allowed just three more hits in his other 32/3 innings. The Scrapper offense bailed him out with a pair of downpours of their own.

The Scrappers added two runs in the third and fifth innings. The first came when Jake Lowery hit a shot down the right-field line. Canfield High graduate and Lowell (19-21) outfielder Drew Turocy misplayed the ball, allowing Lowery to stop at third with a triple. That scored Cody Elliott, who singled and also stole second.

Lowery came around to score when Jordan Smith doubled to left-center field.

In the fifth, Wolters scored again on a wild pitch. Lowery scored for the second time when John Barr singled up the middle. Lowell starter Madison Younginer was also pulled after 42/3 innings.

Things were looking clearer for the home team, but the bullpen couldn’t close out the deal. That’s when the floodgates opened.

In the top of the eighth, Seth Schwindenhammer, who had struck out in his three prior at bats, nailed a shot to deep center field for a double. A single by Jayson Hernandez moved Schwindenhammer to 3B, and a flyout by Turocy plated him.

Turocy, who attended Akron before being nabbed by the Red Sox organization in the 24th round of this year’s draft, finished with three RBIs and scored once.

The Scrappers couldn’t muster any momentum in the bottom of the inning and allowed Turocy’s third RBI in the top of the final inning on a single up the middle. The Spinners scored three in each of the final two innings to put the game away.

The Scrappers scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. But Alex Lavisky swung at a high fastball to end the game.