Scrappers below .500 after shutout loss to Ironbirds

Staff report

NILES

Four Aberdeen pitchers combined on a three-hitter and the Ironbirds played errorless ball in a 2-0 victory over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers on Wednesday night.

Aberdeen’s Ryan Conroy (4-2) worked five innings, alllowing two hits and three walks. He struck out two.

Relievers Malachi Emond, Shelton Perkins and Kade Strowd followed Conroy to the mound and each kept the Scrappers scoreless. Emond and Perkins each worked an inning and Strowd pitched the eighth and ninth for his first save.

Mahoning Valley managed just three hits, all singles. Yainer Diaz had two hits for the Scrappers. Henry Pujols had the only other hit.

The Ironbirds scored single runs in the second and third against Scrappers starter Liam Jenkins (0-4).

Aberdeen’s Jean Carmona’s two-out single to right field in the second drove home Andrew Daschbach for a 1-0 lead.

Kyle Stowers hit into a fielder’s choice in the third to plate Dalton Hoiles with the game’s only other run.

Mahoning Valley left six runners on base in the defeat.

The Scrappers fell below .500 at 22-23 in the New York-Penn League’s Pinckney Division. They are tied for third place with the State College Spikes, five games behind the first-place Batavia Muckdogs.

The Ironbirds (27-18) lead the McNamara Division by a game over the second-place Hudson Valley Renegades.

Howland High School graduate and Aberdeen outfielder Craig Lewis did not play. Lewis suffered a hamstring injury in the Ironbirds’ 5-3 win Tuesday night.

The teams are scheduled to complete a three-game series at 7:05 tonight at Eastwood Field.