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Take two: Batavia sweeps Scrappers
By Jon Moffett
NILES
If the Mahoning Valley Scrappers players needed another example of how grueling a professional baseball season can be, Tuesday’s doubleheader was yet another teachable moment.
The Scrappers dropped a doubleheader to the Batavia Muckdogs, 6-2 and 1-0, at Eastwood Field. The games were set up to compensate for a rainout Monday. And with the season in its twilight, time is a luxury neither club has.
The games totaled more than four hours on the field. And doubling the physical toll weighed on both teams. The nightcap saw just one run — a home run by Batavia first baseman Danny Stienstra.
Stienstra went 2-for-3 in the second game, adding a double. The Muckdogs (39-29) had just two other hits.
The Scrappers (29-38) seemed sluggish in the second game, amassing just five hits. But Joe Wendle, one of the team’s brightest spots this season, said you have to approach a mini-series like every other game.
“It’s all a matter of preparation. We’re all used to being on the field for five, six or seven hours a day,” he said. “So I don’t think being out here for that amount of time had much to do with it.”
Wendle said all players must learn to live with a short memory when it comes to approaching a doubleheader.
“It doesn’t matter if you went 3-for-3 or 0-for-3. You just have to forget about it and focus on the next game,” he said.
The highlight of the first game was a towering, two-run homer in the third inning by Batavia’s Reggie Williams. The blast sailed well over the Scrappers’ bullpen in right field and bounced off the metal roof of the clubhouse. It was one of those no-brainers that was so gone, pitcher Jake Sisco didn’t even bother to turn and look.
The Muckdogs also scored a pair of runs in the first and fourth innings. The scores in the first inning set the tone for the game.
The Scrappers actually out-hit the visitors 8-7, but again fell short in the timely hitting category. Several times the Scrappers stranded runners in scoring position and totaled five such missed opportunities.
Mahoning Valley got on the scoreboard in the third inning when Erik Gonzalez scored on a Wendle double. Gonzalez singled up the middle and stole second to get into position. Wendle later scored scored on an error by Williams in left field.
Wendle continued his impressive season at the top of the lineup. He was 2-for-3 with the RBI on his double. Evan Frazar and Dorssys Paulino also played well. Paulino replaced former leadoff man Jairo Kelly, who was demoted to the Arizona League after striking out a team-high 68 times.
The Scrappers will continue their final homestand of the season tonight with the series finale against Batavia. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Mahoning Valley’s final home series — three games against Auburn — begins Thursday.