No 4-leaf clovers for unlucky Scrappers

August 9, 2012 at 12:08a.m.

By jon moffett

NILES

A slight break from Eastwood Field may have come at exactly the right time for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.

Unfortunately, the brief layoff is for the field itself as it is prepared to host the New York-Penn League All Star Game on Tuesday.

The players have to keep going, even though their momentum seems to have thrown in the towel long ago.

It was Irish night at the ballpark on Wednesday as the Scrappers played host to the Williamsport Crosscutters for the final time this season. And it wasn’t exactly St. Patrick versus the snakes, but the Scrappers did their best to drive the fans out of the stands.

Another ho-hum offensive performance saw Mahoning Valley fall 6-0 in its final home game before the late summer break.

The Scrappers (23-26) have a pair of two-game road trips against Auburn and Batavia before returning home for the league showcase.

The Crosscutters (17-33) improved their season record to 4-6 against the Scrappers in the series sweep.

Left fielder Logan Vick was the lone bright spot for the Scrappers with three of the team’s seven hits. He said the team is pressing a little due to the ongoing slump.

“We’ve been struggling offensively a bit during the past six games, but we’re just trying to grind out our at bats,” he said. “We put up seven hits today, but it’s all about timely hitting. They only had one more hit than we did, but they had six runs.”

It was one of those nights where very little fell in favor of the home team.

Williamsport sent winless Ulises Joaquin and his 4.63 ERA to the mound. The Scrappers countered with undefeated ace Luis DeJesus, who was named the All Star starter for the American League earlier in the day, and his 1.41 mark.

But DeJesus (4-1) was off his game. He was rocked early, giving up two runs in the second innings and allowed four runs on six hits during his five innings. He struck out three and walked one. But a poor outing combined with a sluggish offense added up to a long night.

“I just feel like today I had a really bad day,” DeJesus said. “I was leaving pitches up and not hitting my spots. Really only my fastball and changeup were working for me.

“My curveball was kind of flat today, and I really had to battle.”

Joaquin allowed just three hits in his five innings of work.

A combination of the pitching of Williamsport and the stagnant Scrapper bats left little to be desired. The team combined for eight strikeouts — four by leadoff man Jairo Kelly.

CROSSCUTTERS 6, SCRAPPERS 0

WilliamsportScrappers

abrhbiabrhbi

Hoppy cf4110Kelly ss5000

Taylor lf-rf5000Vick lf3030

Perkins dh5022Wendle 3b4000

Srrtella dh4000Valerio c3010

Olmo rf2010Sever dh4010

Quaranto lf1100Siliga cf4010

Wlding 3b2101Campbell rf3000

Numata c4221Gonzalez 1b4010

Gnzalez 2b4012Garcia 2b 4000

Greene4120

Totals35696Totals34070

Williamsport020111100—6

Scrappers000000000—0

E—Greene (8), Gonzalez (4). DP —Williamsport 1. LOB—Williamsport 6, Scrappers 10. 2B—Greene (6), Perkins (15). 3B—Olmo (2). HR—Numata (1). SB—Valerio (5).

IPHRERBBSO

Williamsport

Joaquin W, 1-1530012

Inch110011

Gonzalez S, 1330005

Scrappers

DeJesus L, 4-1564413

Aviles232201

Encarnacion200023

WP—Gonzalez, DeJesus, Encarnacion. HBP—Campbell (by Gonzalez), Umpires—Home, Sam Vogt; Bases, Scott Costello. T—2:47 (:41 delay). A—2,121.