SCRAPPERS SURGE TO EMPHATIC WIN

By Ty Bartell

NILES OH- The Mahoning Valley Scrappers’ bats were on fire Wednesday night in an emphatic 16-3 win over the State College Spikes, clinching the first two games of the series.

State College struck first in the top of the opening inning when Mahoning Valley’s starting pitcher, Jaden Agassi, allowed a pair of two-out walks, setting up Brylan West for an RBI single to give the Spikes a 1-0 lead. However, that would be their only lead of the evening.

Mahoning Valley responded decisively in the bottom of the first inning, scoring five runs. Josh Stevenson delivered a two-RBI single, followed by John Schroeder’s two-RBI base hit, pushing the Scrappers ahead 5-1.

In the bottom of the second inning, Garret Pike notched his second RBI of the game with an RBI single, marking his first hit in the MLB Draft League and extending the Scrappers’ lead to 6-1. The offensive onslaught continued in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a Jordan Taylor RBI single as Mahoning Valley added three more runs, making it 9-1.

Taylor struck again in the bottom of the fourth with another RBI single. The Spikes managed to get a run back in the top of the fifth off a Deniel Ortiz RBI single, but the Scrappers quickly responded in the bottom half. Pike’s second base hit and third RBI of the game increased the lead to 11-2.

Pike’s night culminated in the bottom of the sixth when he launched a grand slam to right field, bringing his RBI total to seven for the game. This remarkable performance earned Pike co-Player of the Game honors.

Josh Stevenson shared the co-Player of the Game distinction with a perfect 5-for-5 performance at the plate, including a walk to reach base six times.
The 16-3 win for Mahoning Valley (5-3) evened their record with State College (5-3) as they head into the series conclusion on Thursday, June 13, with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch.