43
MISTAKE-PRONE
Photo
The Scrappers’ Aaron Siliga walks off the field after striking out on his second at-bat during Monday’s baseball game against the Jamestown Jammers at Eastwood Field in Niles. Mahoning Valley managed only four hits in the 8-4 loss.
Scrappers unable to overcome five errors, Jammers’ Steckenrider
By Larry Ringler
Niles
The Mahoning Valley Scrappers made their 8-4 loss to the Jamestown Jammers on Monday night look closer than it was with a couple of late two-run homers, but by then five errors and stellar pitching by the Jammers’ starting pitcher had sealed the game.
“It was pretty exciting to go five innings and keep my pitch count down and throw strikes. It felt good,” said Drew Steckenrider, who had a no-hitter through 32/3 innings as he evened his record at 1-1 in front of 1,505 on a cool night.
The University of Tennessee product gave up no earned runs in striking out five and walking four in five innings, which he said was his longest outing since four innings in high school. His effort lowered his earned-run average to 2.82.
The Scrappers’ Evan Frazar ruined Steckenrider’s no-hit fling with two out in the fourth with a blooper to shallow right that eluded diving second baseman Yefri Perez.
They didn’t get their second hit until Richard Stock’s single to lead off the seventh inning off Chipper Smith.
By the time the Scrappers unloaded a pair of two-run homers in the ninth inning by Erik Gonzalez and Andrew Campbell, they were on their way to a 27-32 record, fourth in the Pinckney Division. The fifth-place Jammers improved to 25-33.
Mahoning Valley starter Ryan Merritt fell to 3-4, but gave up only two earned runs on five hits in 51/3 innings as shoddy defense and lack of timely hitting did the damage.
The Scrappers missed a scoring opportunity in the first inning when Joe Sever grounded to Jammers third baseman Pedro Mendoza with runners at second and first and one out after two walks.
Mendoza tagged Andy Campbell going to third, then threw out Sever at first.
The Jammers scored two in the second when Mendoza doubled into the right-field corner.
Sharif Othman singled to right, scoring Mendoza and taking second on the throw home.
Ronny Peralta hit a sinking line drive to left that got by Andy Campbell for an error, scoring Othman.
The Scrappers missed another scoring chance in the seventh when Aaron Siliga flew out to left field with runners at first and third.
Both teams were coming off a 14-inning marathon Sunday night, which the Scrappers won, 2-1. The 3-hour, 59-minute game fell four minutes short of the team’s longest game this year July 11 against Lowell.
The Scrappers open a six-game, two-city road trip tonight against the Batavia Muckdogs. Mahoning Valley will play three games in Batavia, then move on for three more in Auburn against the Doubledays beginning on Friday.
The Scrappers’ next game at Eastwood Field is Aug. 27 against Batavia.
JAmestown 8, SCRAPPERS 4
JamestownScrappers
abrhbiabrhbi
Main cf4000Siliga cf3100
Keefer rf5100Campbell lf4112
Solrzano lf5230Wendle 2b4010
Munoz 1b4101Sever dh4000
Gomez ss5011Frazar 1b3010
Mndoza 3b4220Stock c4010
Othman c4111Romero rf2100
Peralta dh3112Gonzalez 3b3112
Perez 2b2001Garcia ss3000
Totals36886Totals30454
Jamestown020013200—8
Scrappers000000004—4
E—Campbell (4), Stock (3), Romero (3), Gonzalez (13), Garcia (12). DP—Jamestown 2, Scrappers 1. LOB—Jamestown 6, Scrappers 9. 2B—Medoza (6). 3B—Solorzano (3). HR—Gonzalez (2), Campbell (1). SB—Peralta (1).
IPHRERBBSO
Jamestown
Stcknrider W, 1-1510046
Smith H, 1 3 2-344452
Creath 1-300001
Scrappers
Merritt L, 3-45 1-346220
Stokes2 2-332010
Encarnacion 110003
WP—Stokes. HBP—Frazar (by Steckenrider).
Umpires—Home, Mike Provine; Bases, Mike Wisemann. T—2:36. A—1,505.