Scrappers salvage finale of soggy homestand

July 1, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

NILES

Finally, the sun shined on Eastwood Field, both literally and figuratively.

Following a late Tuesday afternoon thunderstorm which dumped heavy rains on Niles, the clouds eventually lifted, allowing the the Scrappers to conclude their three-game series against Williamsport.

When the teams finally took to the field following a 48-minute delay, the Scrappers (4-7) logged their first home win of the year, 2-1. The victory snapped a five-game losing streak — including four losses at Eastwood Field. Williamsport (10-1) suffered its first setback of the season after winning 10 straight.

The Scrappers scored the only runs they would need in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs and runners on second and third, leadoff hitter Willi Castro laced a double to right field, plating both runners.

The two runs held up thanks to another impressive start by Shao-Ching Chiang. The right-hander worked five innings, surrendering just one run on three hits. Chiang (2-0) is the first Scrappers pitcher to win two games this year. In two starts, he has allowed just one earned run in 11 innings.

“Shao did a great job of establishing his fastball on both sides of the plate, then the second time through the order he was mixing in his other pitches and putting together some great sequences,” said Scrappers pitching coach Greg Hibbard. “He had nice command and nice stuff tonight, just like his first start.”

Brock Hartson and Jose Zapata combined to pitch three scoreless innings to secure the win.

While the Scrappers struggled on the field for most of the homestand, the fact that they were able to even play is a testament to the all-star performance of Ryan Olszewski.

Olszewski is the Scrappers’ head groundskeeper. The 2007 Howland High graduate — in his first season with the Scrappers — had his work cut out for him the past six days.

“Lots of caffeine and lots energy drinks, that’s how I got through the week,” Olszewski said. “These first set of games definitely posed a lot of challenges. With each new batch of rain, things got a bit more interesting.”

Nearly 10 inches of rain fell on Niles in June. During the six-day homestand alone, more than three inches of rain fell on Eastwood Field.

Despite the fact that rain fell each of the past six days, the Scrappers experienced just one rainout. That occurred Saturday when 1.97 inches of rain was recorded.

Late afternoon showers and thunderstorms caused at least a 45-minute delay in the start of games each of the past three days.

“Fortunately, our field drains very well, it can handle a whole lot of water,” Olszewski said. “By [Tuesday], we had so much rain that there were a few soft spots here and there, but for the most part the drainage system did its job.”

The unpredictable weather kept Olszewski in extra-innings mode since the home opener last Thursday. He regularly arrived at the ball park at 8 a.m. and departed around midnight. Tarp pulls — which involve 15-20 employees — happened regularly.

“The tarp pulls are definitely a workout, especially when we have to pull it off after a heavy rain,” Olszewski said. “If anyone in the Valley wants a workout, they are invited to come out for a tarp pull. They’ll get in great shape.”

Olszewski has a few days to get the field ready for the next game. The Scrappers play three games at Batavia before returning home on Saturday.