SCRAPPERS WIN THE FIRST SERIES OF THE SECOND HALF

By Ty Bartell

NILES, Ohio — The Mahoning Valley Scrappers took the series against the State College Spikes with a final score of 7-2 in the concluding game of a four-game set.

Joey Butz started on the mound for Mahoning Valley, while State College began with Jackie Robinson. Both pitchers tossed a scoreless first inning, each sending the side down in order. The Scrappers struck first in the bottom of the second inning when Drew Holderbach went big fly to left, grabbing an early 2-0 lead for Mahoning Valley.

In the bottom of the third, the Scrappers added to their lead off a Kota Suzuki RBI single to score Jake “The Alley Cat” Allgeyer, making it 3-0 Mahoning Valley. The Spikes got on the board in the top of the fourth with an RBI sacrifice fly by Caleb Hill to plate Cameron Bufford, cutting the Scrappers’ lead to 3-1. Mahoning Valley then struck for four runs in the bottom of the inning, provided by an RBI single from Issac Williams and a two-RBI single by Matthew Rivera to increase the Scrappers’ advantage to 6-1. Allgeyer grounded into a fielder’s choice to add an additional run, making the score 7-1.

Following four innings of one-run baseball, Miles Hellums replaced Joey Butz on the mound for Mahoning Valley. Hellums tossed three scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and striking out three, keeping the Scrappers in front 7-1 heading to the top of the eighth. Jerry Burkett II tossed a shutout eighth inning, striking out one to set up Sungkyung Kim in the ninth for Mahoning Valley.

The Spikes struck for a run in the ninth off a TJ Pound RBI double, but that would be all the offense they could muster as the Scrappers secured the game 7-2 and the series by taking three out of four from State College.

Both teams are off on Monday before returning to action on Tuesday, July 23, when the Scrappers (19-19) (3-1) will be on the road to start a three-game series with the Trenton Thunder (17-19) (3-1).