Scrappers finish not in paradise

August 19, 2012 at 12:08a.m.

NILES

You could almost smell the salt in the air of the breeze as it cascaded gently over the sand and through the palm trees.

The harmonious strumming of a ukelele in the distance and the crashing of waves onto the surf were enough to send you into a blissful trance. Paradise.

But then the crack of a bat made you shake your head and remember you were in Northeast Ohio. And the only sand nearby was the sediment concoction spread around the infield.

Though at times it may have seemed like paradise, Jimmy Buffett Night at Eastwood Field was a heartbreaker for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. A 4-3 loss to the visiting Batavia Muckdogs has the Scrappers’ postseason hopes sailing away like a raft in the lagoon.

Despite rallying from a 3-0 deficit early, the Scrappers battled back to tie it in the eighth. But all the hope and dreams washed away in the top of the ninth on a towering shot by Batavia’s Jacob Wilson that might still be on its way to Margaritaville.

“It’s obviously never fun to lose any game, let alone a close game,” Scrappers second baseman Joe Wendle said. “And that one we lost in the ninth. It’s tough.”

The Scrappers (26-31) entered the contest seven games out of first place and 8.5 out of the wildcard. But a loss to the second-place Muckdogs (31-26) took a lot of wind out of the Mahoning Valley sails.

The loss — the team’s third in a row and fourth in the last five games — left the team sort of marooned in mediocrity. Mahoning Valley sits in the middle of the the division with no real chance of gaining ground. It was enough to make the free Jason Kipnis souvenirs shake their bobbled heads.

Wendle said despite the loss, the Scrappers showed their toughness and refusal to cave under pressure. The team displayed toughness, he said and resolve.

“Right now we’re not putting a lot of runs on the board, and when you’re not able to do that, you’ve just kind of got to battle,” he said. “That’s how you work your way through it.”

The Scrappers have fewer than 20 games remaining to salvage the wreckage of this season from the depths. Wendle said he believes the team can do just that. But the team must improve with pelicans — err, ducks — on the pond. The Scrappers stranded six runners on base, including the game-winning run on third in the bottom of the eighth.

“All of the pitchers we saw here during this series are above-average arms for this league,” Wendle said. “And when they’re doing their thing, it’s difficult for us to do ours.”

The Muckdogs entered the game allowing just 103 batters all season in two-thirds shy of 500 innings. Scrappers starter Luis DeJesus, who finished going 52/3 innings with a no decision, said this is a time pitchers need to batten down the hatches on their stuff.

BATAVIA 4, SCRAPPERS 3

BataviaScrappers

abrhbiabrhbi

Popkins rf5020Siliga cf4120

Wittels ss3000Campbell lf3100

Stienst 2b4110Wendle 2b4122

Wisdom 3b4112Sever dh4030

Washin 1b3000Frazar1b4010

Keener c4000Lucas c3011

Wilson dh4121Romero rf4010

Williams lf4110Gonzalez 3b4010

Ramos lf0000Garcia ss4000

Young cf4011Garcia ss

Totals35484Totals343113

Batavia200000101—4

Scrappers000000120—3

E—Young (4). DP—Batavia 2. LOB—Batavia 6, Scrappers 6. 2B—Popkins (3), Young (5), Wendle (13).HR — Wisdom (4), Wilson (2). SB—Wilson (2). PO—Frazar (by Cooney). CS—Frazar (2).

IPHRERBBSO

Batavia

Cooney640015

Pasen H 1 1 2-342105

Creath BS 2 W 1-21 1-330003

Scrappers

DeJesus5 2-352214

Aviles1 1-321110

Encarnacion L, 0-1221104

Umpires—Home, Mike Provine; Bases, Mike Wisemann. T—2:48. A—4,146.