Scrappers top Doubledays with strong pitching

Staff report

AUBURN, N.Y.

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers’ deficit in the New York-Penn League’s Pinckney Division is down to a half game.

The Scrappers used strong pitching to beat the first-place Auburn Doubledays 4-1 on Tuesday night at Falcon Park.

Justin Garza started and worked four scoreless innings for the Scrappers (34-28), but didn’t figure in the decision. Shane McCarthy (1-0) earned the win in four innings of relief. He scattered four hits and allowed an unearned run.

Manuel Alvarez earned his fourth save with a scoreless ninth.

Jose Fermin and Simeon Lucas each had two hits and drove in a run for Mahoning Valley. Michael Tinsley drove in two runs.

Angel Lopez gave the Scrappers a 1-0 lead with a double in the top of the second after Hosea Nelson reached on an error, stole second and took third on a Lucas single. Tinsley singled home Lucas. Fermin singled and scored on a single by Nelson in the third.

Auburn (35-28) scored its only run in the seventh when Israel Pineda reached on a two-out infield single, took second on an error and scored on a single b y Jacob Rhinesmith. Lucas doubled and scored on Tinsley’s groundout in the ninth for the Scrappers.