Five runs that crossed the plate in the last two innings for Mahoning Valley would prove to be too much for the Muckdogs to overcome in a 7-3 loss to the division-leading Scrappers.
Mahoning Valley got an early jump on Humberto Mejia on Saturday. They picked up two runs in the first inning. Two of the first three batters came around to score. Tyler Freeman continued his tear of NYPL pitching with a triple after one out. He was scored by a Mitch Reeves' double, one of Reeves four hits in the game. Hosea Nelson, who had a home run in game one of the series drove in the second run to give the Scrappers a 2-0 cushion before Batavia even got to bat.
Batavia answered with their first runs of the game in the bottom of the second inning. Albert Guaimaro hit a triple with one out, his first of two in the game. Then a two-out single from Denis Karas scored him to cut the Scrappers’ lead in half after the second.
Both pitchers locked in a pitchers’ duel until the tie was broken in the eighth inning with bullpen pitchers on the mound. Batavia and Mahoning Valley scored two runs each in their half of the inning to bat. The Scrappers rally started with two outs in the top half of the frame. Reeves notched his fourth hit of the game and Nelson got on by reaching on a throwing error. Angel Lopez hit the clutch two-run single to make it a 4-1 game after the top of the inning.
The bottom of the eighth saw the Muckdogs answer with their two runs from an RBI single from Sean Reynolds. His base knock brought in one run, and the second came on a throwing error to the plate that cut the deficit to just one run.
The 4-3 lead in the ninth for the visitors swelled by three more runs, all coming with two outs. Jose Fermin singled home Michael Tinsley, and after a botched foul pop-up on a miscommunication, two more scored on a Freeman single and a wild pitch.
Batavia then went down in order in the bottom of the ninth, giving Mahoning Valley the game and the series W. The final game of the series before the league off day is today at 1:05.
