Scrappers to fall Doubledays in home opener

June 22, 2017 at 12:05a.m.

Scrappers have chances, but fall in home opener

NILES

Samad Taylor was certain his ninth-inning line drive to deep right field was going to give Scrappers teammate Hosea Nelson a chance to score the tying run in their home opener.

Nelson had a huge jump off first base as the ball sailed toward Auburn right fielder Israel Mota, who had taken a step in then scurried backward.

Mota recovered, leaping to snare the ball with his outstretched glove.

“I thought for sure it was going to get past him,” Taylor said. “What a jump — he made the play.”

Moments later with two outs, Nelson had another chance but luck favored the Doubledays in their 3-2 win on Wednesday at Eastwood Field. After a pitch from Malkin Pena bounced in front of the plate, Nelson took off.

Catcher Luis Vilorio fielded the bounce and fired a strike to third baseman Omar Meregildo, who tagged Nelson to end the game.

Scrappers manager Luke Carlin doesn’t mind an aggressive approach but agreed that Nelson’s gamble was risky.

“Maybe that’s not quite the spot,” Carlin said of the final out.

Still, he likes his players’ competitive juices.

“They get after it, they compete,” the first-year manager said. “I think that’s a sign of what you’re going to see the rest of the summer.

“It’s going to be exciting — aggressive with a lot of thought that goes into it as well.”

The Scrappers also came close to tying the game in the seventh inning. Trailing 3-1, Jason Rodriguez and Simeon Lucas singled to open the frame. With one out, Taylor singled to load the bases.

Pena struck out Elvis Perez then Gonzalez singled to left to score Rodriguez.

Carlin waved Lucas home, but Oliver Ortiz’s throw to Vilorio was in time.

“There were two outs, he had a good lead,” Carlin said. “It was a really good throw, it was perfect.

“I knew it was going to be close,” Carlin said. “That’s one of those [plays] I’m not going to lose sleep over.”

Doubledays starter Yonathan Ramirez scattered five hits in the six innings he worked. Two were doubles by Ulysses Cantu,

“Just seeing the ball well tonight,” said Cantu, who said his comfort zone has pitches middle high and inside. “Everybody struggles with the outside pitch.”

He doubled to left-center field to open the second inning.

“I just saw a pitch middle-in and natural reactions took over,” Cantu said.

After Will Benson grounded out to advance Cantu to third, he came home on Jason Rodriguez’s sacrifice fly to Mota.

The Scrappers’ lead quickly evaporated after Meregildo and Vilorio led off the third inning with base hits. The bases were loaded when Taylor at second base knocked down a grounder by Armond Upshaw but couldn’t make a throw.

Scrappers starter Felix Tati then hit Andres Martinez to tie the game. Vilorio broke the tie when he came home on Ortiz’s fielder’s choice and Upshaw raced home when Perez a shortstop threw wide to first trying for a double play.

The attendance was announced as 5,216.

“Great crowd,” Cantu said. “A lot different than the AZL [Arizona League], a lot better atmosphere out here,”

Taylor agreed.

“Great — they bring a bunch of energy,” the infielder said.

“It was a great time playing in front of them.”