Tag Archive for: Mahoning Valley Scrappers

SCRAPPERS FALL TO KEYS IN HOME FINALE

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By Ty Bartell

NILES OH- The Mahoning Valley Scrappers dropped their final home game of the season to the Frederick Keys, falling 12-2 after a decisive six-run seventh inning by Frederick. Zach Norris started on the mound for Mahoning Valley, while the Keys countered with Beau Blanchard.

The Scrappers struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Dreylin Holmes hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Jake Allgeyer from third, giving Mahoning Valley an early 1-0 lead. Both teams were held scoreless in the second inning before Frederick got on the board in the third. With two outs and two runners on base, Sam Ruta delivered a clutch two-run single, putting the Keys ahead 2-1.

Frederick extended their lead in the top of the fourth, scoring two more runs on a costly error by the Scrappers, making it 4-1 after four innings. Norris pitched through the fifth inning, finishing his day with four runs allowed (two earned) on ten hits, six strikeouts, and no walks. In the bottom of the fifth, the Scrappers cut into the deficit with an RBI sacrifice fly from Issac Williams, scoring Jake Tsukada and bringing the score to 4-2.

After a scoreless sixth inning from both sides, the Keys erupted for six runs in the top of the seventh, highlighted by key hits from Keenan Taylor, Damone Hale, and former Scrapper Brandon Hylton. This offensive surge extended Frederick’s lead to 10-2. The Keys continued to add on, with an RBI single from Tremayne Cobb Jr. in the eighth and another RBI single by Sam Ruta in the ninth, sealing a 12-2 victory.

With the loss, the Scrappers fall to 35-34 overall and 19-16 in the second half, now sitting 1.5 games behind the West Virginia Black Bears (33-36, 21-15) for the top spot in the MLB Draft League. Mahoning Valley will now head on the road for a three-game series against the Williamsport Crosscutters (31-34, 9-26) starting on Friday, August 30.

SCRAPPERS HALT KEYS COMEBACK

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By Ty Bartell

NILES, OH—The Mahoning Valley Scrappers secured an 8-6 win against the Frederick Keys in a tightly contested game, holding off a ninth-inning comeback attempt to claim the victory. The Scrappers were forced to use a bullpen day after their regularly scheduled starting pitcher, Tanner Gillis, was picked up by a Major League Baseball organization. Toren Herrick got the nod to start for Mahoning Valley against Frederick’s right-handed pitcher Harold Baez.

The game began with two scoreless innings as Herrick pitched the first inning before being replaced by A.J. Riddle in the second. The Scrappers took an early lead in the bottom of the third inning with a Jake Allgeyer RBI single that scored T.J. McKenzie, giving Mahoning Valley a 1-0 advantage. However, Frederick responded in the top of the fourth, scoring four runs. Keenan Taylor’s two-run home run, a bases-loaded walk by Brody Fahr, and an RBI fielder’s choice by Brandon Hylton put the Keys ahead 4-1.

Mahoning Valley’s Jerry Burkett II came in to relieve Riddle and successfully ended the fourth inning without further damage. The Scrappers’ bats then came alive in the bottom of the sixth inning, leading to a seven-run explosion. The rally included an RBI single from Drey Dirksen, a bases-loaded walk by Matt Rivera, two-RBI singles from both T.J. McKenzie and Jake Allgeyer, and a sacrifice fly by Kota Suzuki, pushing the Scrappers to an 8-4 lead.

Burkett II continued his strong performance on the mound, pitching through the seventh inning without allowing a run. Ethan Bell took over in the eighth and retired the side in order. However, the Keys began to mount a comeback in the ninth inning. An RBI double by Michael Campagna and an RBI single by Sam Ruta cut the deficit to two runs. This prompted the Scrappers to call on their closer, Jonathan Martinez, who managed to close out the game despite allowing a walk, securing the 8-6 victory.

With the win, the Scrappers improve to 35-33 overall and 19-15 in the second half, putting them in a three-way tie for second place with Trenton and State College, just half a game behind the West Virginia Black Bears. The series finale against Frederick (32-35, 17-18) is set for Thursday, August 29th, at 7:05 p.m., marking the final home game for Mahoning Valley this seas

STRONG SCRAPPERS PITCHING CLEARS THE THUNDER

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By Ty Bartell

 

NILES, OH—The Mahoning Valley Scrappers defeated the Trenton Thunder 9-2 on Saturday night, powered by a strong pitching performance from Grant Umberger.

Umberger started on the mound for the Scrappers, while Cregg Scherrer got the nod for the Thunder. Both pitchers threw scoreless first innings, with Scherrer escaping a bases-loaded jam. However, the Scrappers broke through in the bottom of the second. T.J. McKenzie stole second base while Drew Holderbach swiped home, scoring the first run of the game. A catcher interference call on Chris Reeder allowed McKenzie to score, followed by a Dreylin Holmes RBI double and a wild pitch by Scherrer that brought in two more runs, capping a four-run inning for Mahoning Valley.

Holmes added to the lead in the third with an RBI single. Blake McCrae drew a bases-loaded walk, and Chang-Yong Lee’s sacrifice fly scored Jake Allgeyer, extending the Scrappers’ advantage to 7-0 and ending Scherrer’s outing after just 22⁄3 innings.

The Scrappers continued to pile on, adding runs in the fifth on an RBI single by Allgeyer and in the sixth on a wild pitch, making it 9-0. Umberger remained dominant through seven innings, striking out nine and allowing just two hits and three walks without surrendering a run.

A.J. Riddle took over in the eighth and allowed a two-run homer to Ryan Vogel, cutting the Thunder’s deficit to 9-2. However, Riddle avoided further damage. Sungkyung Kim pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out a batter to secure the 9-2 win for Mahoning Valley.

The Scrappers (33-33, 17-15) and Thunder (33-30, 19-12) will face off in the rubber match of their three-game series on Sunday at 2:05 p.m.

THUNDER RAINS ON SCRAPPERS FIRST PLACE HOPES

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By Ty Bartell

NILES, OH—The Mahoning Valley Scrappers fell to the Trenton Thunder 7-5 in the opening game of a three-game series Friday night.

Trenton struck first, scoring two runs in th top of the first inning with a two-run double by Jack O’Reilly, taking an early 2-0 lead. After a scoreless second inning, O’Reilly continued to deliver for the Thunder in the third inning, hitting an RBI triple to right field. Pete Durocher added to the Thunder’s lead with a sacrifice fly to score O’Reilly, extending the advantage to 4-0 after three innings.m

The Scrappers responded in the bottom of the fourth inning when Chang-Yong Lee hit a three-run home run to left-center field, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
In the top of the fifth, the Thunder regained a three-run lead. O’Reilly drove in another run with a sacrifice fly, bringing his RBI total to four for the game. Durocher followed with an RBI double, making it 6-3. Mahoning Valley’s Jake Allgeyer hit an RBI triple in the bottom half of the inning, reducing Trenton’s lead to 6-4.

Mahoning Valley reliever Cole Chimenti entered in the fifth inning, allowing two runs before settling in to pitch three scoreless frames. Trenton’s starter Jacob Balzan left after six innings, in line for the win.

Both teams were held scoreless through the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. In the top of the ninth, Trenton added an insurance run with Andy Blake’s sacrifice fly, scoring Santino Rosso to make it 7-4.
The Scrappers made one last push in the bottom of the ninth with an RBI single by T.J. McKenzie, bringing the score to 7-5 and putting the tying run at the plate. However, Ethan Bradford secured the save for Trenton, his third of the season, preserving the victory.

The Thunder (33-29, 19-11) extended their lead over the Scrappers (32-33, 16-15) with the win. The two teams will face off again Saturday, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

SCRAPPERS KEEP PACE FOR FIRST PLACE

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By Ty Bartell 

 

NILES, OH—The Mahoning Valley Scrappers emerged victorious in a hard-fought contest against the Williamsport Crosscutters, winning 6-4 in a tightly contested game. Left-hander Grant Umberger took the mound for his fifth start with the Scrappers, while the Crosscutters countered with right-hander Brent Francisco.

The scoring began early in the top of the first inning when Ali LaPread lined a one-out RBI double to center field, driving in Mark Shallenberger to give Williamsport an early 1-0 lead. Mahoning Valley responded quickly in the bottom half as Jake Allgeyer led off with a base hit. Francisco managed to retire the next two batters, but Chang-Yong Lee crushed a 403-foot two-run home run to left-center, putting the Scrappers ahead 2-1.

Both teams were scoreless in the second inning before Mitch McCabe tied the game for Williamsport in the top of the third with a two-out single to left, bringing home Jacob Corson and evening the score at 2-2. The fourth inning passed without any scoring, but the Crosscutters reclaimed the lead in the fifth when Will Binder delivered an RBI double, making it 3-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Scrappers tied the game again as Kota Suzuki drove in Allgeyer with an RBI single. Chang-Yong Lee followed up with another towering home run, this one a 412-foot two-run shot to center field, giving Mahoning Valley a 5-3 lead.

Both starting pitchers were replaced after five innings, with Chase Gockel taking over for Williamsport and A.J. Riddle stepping in for Mahoning Valley. Both relievers kept the sixth inning scoreless.

In the top of the seventh, Cole Chimenti took the mound for the Scrappers and allowed a line-drive RBI single to Cory Taylor, bringing in Levi Perrell to make it a one-run game at 5-4. However, in the bottom of the inning, after Dreylin Holmes reached third base, Lee added to his impressive day with a sacrifice fly, driving in his fifth run of the game and restoring a two-run lead for Mahoning Valley at 6-4.

Toren Herrick pitched a clean eighth inning, setting the stage for Jonathan Martinez, who closed out the game in the ninth. Martinez struck out two batters en route to his fourth save of the season, securing the win for the Scrappers.

With the victory, the Scrappers (32-29, 16-11) remain just a half-game behind the Trenton Thunder (30-28, 16-10) in the MLB Draft League standings. After a travel day on Monday, Mahoning Valley will hit the road to face the West Virginia Black Bears (25-35, 13-14) on Tuesday before returning to Eastwood Field on Friday, August 23rd, for a pivotal series against the Thunder.

GRAND SLAMS GALORE IN WILLIAMSPORT WIN

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By Ty Bartell

 

NILES, Ohio — The Mahoning Valley Scrappers fell short in a high-scoring affair against the Williamsport Crosscutters, losing 10-8 on Friday night. The game, filled with offensive fireworks, saw both teams trading big blows throughout.

Zach Norris took the mound for Mahoning Valley, while Mike Hansell got the start for Williamsport. The Scrappers struck first in the opening frame, capitalizing on a fielding error by Crosscutters’ first baseman Josh Lopez that allowed Jake Allgeyer to score from third, giving Mahoning Valley an early 1-0 lead.

Williamsport responded in the third inning when Cory Taylor launched a two-run home run over the left field wall, putting the Crosscutters ahead 2-1. The fourth inning brought more power from Williamsport, as Mark Shallenberger smashed a two-run homer to right field, extending the lead to 4-1. Hansell’s night ended after four innings of work, having allowed just one earned run.

Jacob James came on in relief for Williamsport in the fifth, while Norris remained on the mound for Mahoning Valley. Both pitchers held the opposing offenses in check through the fifth inning. However, in the sixth, Norris surrendered an RBI single to Jacob Corson, pushing Williamsport’s lead to 5-1. Norris finished the night with six innings pitched, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits, with one walk and three strikeouts.

The Scrappers roared back in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases for Dreylin Holmes, who delivered a game-tying grand slam that soared over the left field wall at 106 mph off the bat, evening the score at 5-5.
But Williamsport quickly regained control in the top of the seventh, responding with a grand slam of their own. Jacob Corson cleared the bases with a towering shot to right field, driving in his second, third, fourth, and fifth runs of the night, to put the Crosscutters back on top, 9-5. They added another insurance run in the eighth on a Porter Brown sacrifice fly, increasing their lead to 10-5.

The Scrappers made a late push in the bottom of the ninth, scoring three runs on an RBI single by Adam Juran, a run on a wild pitch, and an RBI groundout by Blake McCrae. However, the comeback effort fell short, as Williamsport held on for the 10-8 victory, evening the four-game series.

Both teams return to action Saturday night, with Mahoning Valley (31-29, 15-11) and Williamsport (29-26, 7-18) looking to gain the upper hand in the series.

POWER GOBLINS WIN ON POWER PITCHING

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By Ty Bartell

 

NILES, Ohio — The Mahoning Valley Scrappers, rebranded as the Mahoning Valley Power Goblins in celebration of South Korea’s Independence Day, defeated the Williamsport Crosscutters 7-4 on Thursday night.

Mahoning Valley jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning with a three-run outburst. Kota Suzuki drove in the first run with an RBI single, followed by a two-RBI single from Jake Tsukada to give the Power Goblins a 3-0 advantage. The Power Goblins continued their offensive onslaught in the second inning, capitalizing on a throwing error that allowed Jake Allgeyer to score, extending the lead to 4-0.

Starting pitcher Tanner Gillis kept the Crosscutters in check, throwing three scoreless innings while his team added two more runs in the third. Jake Allgeyer came through with a two-RBI automatic double to stretch the lead to 6-0. Mahoning Valley added another run in the fourth inning, courtesy of an RBI single from Tsukada, making it 7-0.

Williamsport broke through in the fifth inning with an RBI double from Mitch McCabe, scoring Ali LaPread. The Crosscutters then turned to reliever Jacob Hasty, who posted the first scoreless inning of the night for their pitching staff.

Gillis wrapped up his strong outing after six innings, allowing just one run on six hits, walking two, and striking out nine. His performance marked another quality start in The Draft League.

In the seventh inning, Williamsport chipped away at the lead with a solo home run by LaPread off reliever A.J. Riddle, making it 7-2. The Crosscutters added two more runs in the eighth inning on a wild pitch and a double play that allowed another run to score, cutting the deficit to 7-4.

Jonathan Martinez came in for the six-out save and sealed the victory for Mahoning Valley. After allowing a leadoff single in the ninth, Martinez induced a double play and then struck out the final batter to secure the win.

With the victory, Mahoning Valley (31-28, 15-10) now sits just a game behind Trenton for the top spot in The Draft League. The Power Goblins will continue their four-game series against Williamsport (28-26, 6-18) on Friday, August 16, with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch.

 

SCRAPPERS START STRONG, BUT FAIL TO FINISH

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By Ty Bartell

NILES OH- The Mahoning Valley Scrappers fell to the State College Spikes, 8-5, after surrendering a four-run lead on Wednesday night.

Brayan Villar took the mound for Mahoning Valley, while Jordan Morales started for the Spikes. The Scrappers jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, capitalizing on an RBI single by Blake McCrae, an RBI double from Drey Dirksen, and a two-RBI triple from Jake Tsukada.

After a scoreless second inning from both teams, State College got on the board in the top of the third with a sacrifice fly by Kyle Russell, scoring Cooper Hext from third and narrowing the Scrappers’ lead to 4-1. The next two innings saw both teams held scoreless, but the Spikes chipped away at the deficit in the sixth with an RBI double by Caleb Hill and an RBI triple from Will Jewell, bringing State College within one run.
In the seventh, the Spikes surged ahead, scoring four runs to take a 6-4 lead.

Cole Chimenti and Jerry Burkett II, who both pitched in the inning for the Scrappers, each allowed two earned runs. Parker Coddou tied the game with an RBI single before Hill put State College ahead with an RBI single of his own. An error by Tsukada allowed the Spikes to tack on another run, making it 6-4.

State College added insurance runs in the top of the eighth with a two-RBI double by Cam Bufford, extending their lead to 8-4. Mahoning Valley broke a six-inning scoring drought in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI single from Issac Williams, cutting the deficit to 8-5.

David Lee closed out the game for the Spikes, retiring the Scrappers in order in the ninth to earn his third save of the season and secure the series victory for State College.

Mahoning Valley (30-28, 14-10) will host the Williamsport Crosscutters (28-25, 6-17) on Thursday, August 15th, to begin a four-game series at Eastwood Field, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

SCRAPPERS STRIKE THE SPIKES EARLY AND OFTEN

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By Ty Bartell

 

NILES, Ohio — The Mahoning Valley Scrappers dominated the State College Spikes with an 11-0 shutout on Tuesday night, evening the series behind a stellar performance from four Mahoning Valley arms.
Joey Butz started on the mound for Mahoning Valley and set the tone early, keeping the Spikes off the board through 4.1 innings. The Scrappers grabbed the lead in the second inning with an RBI single from Jake Allgeyer, scoring Adam Juran to make it 1-0. They doubled the lead in the third when Blake McCrae came home on an RBI single to center field, extending the advantage to 2-0.

After a scoreless fourth inning, Butz handed the ball to Miles Hellums, who retired the next two batters in the fifth to maintain the shutout. The Scrappers then broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs. Drey Dirksen’s RBI single, Kota Suzuki’s RBI fielder’s choice, and a booming RBI triple from Drew Holderbach pushed the lead to 5-0.
Hellums faced a bases-loaded jam in the sixth but escaped unscathed thanks to a critical defensive play. Right fielder Suzuki caught a fly ball and threw out Austin Baal at home, completing a double play that kept the Spikes off the scoreboard. The Scrappers added another run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single from Chang-Yong Lee, increasing their lead to 6-0.

Hellums continued his strong relief work with a clean seventh inning, capping off 2.2 innings of scoreless pitching. The Scrappers put the game out of reach in the bottom of the seventh, scoring five more runs. Jake Tsukada’s two-RBI single, a bases-loaded walk to Dreylin Holmes, and another two-RBI single by Dirksen gave Mahoning Valley a commanding 11-0 lead. Evan Harmon and Sungkyung Kim each pitched a scoreless inning to close out the game, securing the shutout victory for the Scrappers.

With the win, Mahoning Valley (30-27, 14-9) moves within a game of the top spot in the second-half Draft League standings. The Scrappers will aim to win their fifth consecutive series in the rubber match against the Spikes (32-27, 13-11) on Wednesday, August 14th with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m

NO SWEET ENDING FOR COOKIE TABLES

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By Ty Bartell 

 

NILES, OH — The State College Spikes secured a late comeback victory against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, temporarily rebranded as The Mahoning Valley Cookie Tables, with a 6-4 win on Monday night at Eastwood Field.

The Scrappers honored a local wedding tradition by adopting the “Cookie Tables” moniker for the evening. Mahoning Valley jumped out to an early lead in the second inning when Adam Juran launched a two-run home run, giving the Cookie Tables a 2-0 advantage. They extended their lead in the third inning as Drek Dirksen drove in Dreylin Holmes, making it 3-0.
State College responded in the fourth inning when Kyle Russell’s RBI double and Austin Baal’s RBI single trimmed the Cookie Tables’ lead to 3-2. The Spikes tied the game in the fifth with a sacrifice fly by Parker Coddou, scoring Austin Roccaforte. Moments later, Russell struck again, delivering an RBI single that gave State College its first lead at 4-3.
The Spikes added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings with an RBI single by Josh Spiegel and an RBI double by Coddou, pushing their lead to 6-3.

Mahoning Valley threatened in the eighth inning, loading the bases with two outs, but State College reliever David Lee struck out Jake Allgeyer to preserve the lead. The Scrappers staged a rally in the ninth, scoring a run on Jake Tsukada’s RBI single and loading the bases again with two outs. However, Lee induced a pop-up from Zach Ketterman to secure the win and earn his second save of the season.

Jeremy Neff earned the win for State College, improving to 3-0 after a six-inning quality start. Grant Umberger, who missed his last start due to rain, took the loss for Mahoning Valley, falling to 0-1 on the season.

Both teams will continue their series on Tuesday, with the Scrappers (29-27, 13-9) returning to their usual identity as they look to even the series against the Spikes (32-26, 13-10).