Scrappers score twice in 15th to earn sweep of Doubledays

Staff report

AUBURN, N.Y.

Samad Taylor hit an RBI single in the top of the 15th inning to lead the Mahoning Valley Scrappers to a 2-0 win over the Auburn Doubledays on Monday.

The Scrappers (9-5) swept the three-game series.

Hosea Nelson scored the go-ahead run on the single after he entered the game as a pinch runner on first base, advanced to second on an error and then went to third on a single by Taylor.

Later in the inning, Mahoning Valley added an insurance run when Ernie Clement scored on a single by Jesse Berardi.

Ping-Hsueh Chen struck Jeyner Baez out with a runner on first to end the game for his second save of the season.

In a classic pitchers duel, Mahoning Valley’s Felix Tati and Auburn’s Matthew DeRosier delivered great starts. Tati went six scoreless innings, allowing two hits while striking out five. DeRosier struck out six while allowing four hits over six scoreless innings.

Kirk McCarty (2-0) got the win with two innings of scoreless, one-hit relief while Michael Rishwain (0-2) took the loss in the New York-Penn League game.

The Doubledays were held off the scoreboard for the second time this season, while the Scrappers’ staff recorded their second shutout of the year.

Mahoning Valley improved to 5-1 against Auburn this season.