South Scraps by North in All-Star Game

FISHKILL, NY - Players for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers combined to drive in four runs and pitch a scoreless inning of relief as the South defeated the North 9-5 in the New York-Penn League All-Star Game Tuesday night at Dutchess Stadium.

 

The North took immediate control of the game with a three-run first inning. Lowell Spinners leftfielder Tyler Hill took the first pitch from South starting pitcher Danny Beddes over the leftfield wall for a solo homerun. 

 

After the next two men were retired, two Vermont Lake Monsters combined to increase the North lead. First-baseman Miguel Mercedes singled to center before second-baseman Nate Mondou tripled him home on a line drive to left-center to make it a 2-0 ballgame. Mondou would score a couple of pitches later when Beddes uncorked a wild pitch to make it 3-0.

 

However, mother nature did not shine brightly on the North as a brief rain shower halted play for 18 minutes in the third inning. Once play resumed, it was a different ballgame.

 

The South took the lead for good by putting four runs on the board in the fourth against Hudson Valley closer Joe Serrapica who has not given up a run in regular season play all year. With one out, Staten Island third baseman Drew Bridges and State College catcher Jeremy Martinez singled to put runners at first and second. State College first baseman Eliar Rodriguez walked to load the bases, then West Virginia designated hitter Kevin Mahala hit a sac fly to center to put the South on the board. The next hitter, Mahoning Valley second baseman Erlin Cerda then provided the big blow with a three-run homer over the leftfield wall to give the South a 4-3 lead.

 

The South would put the game away with four more runs in the sixth off of Lowell reliever Algenis Martinez. West Virginia catcher Kevin Krause led off with a walk before Rodriguez moved him to second with a single. That's when Mahoning Valley designated hitter Todd Isaacs lifted a fly ball to left, which was dropped by Hill to bring in Krause and make the score 5-3 South and put runners at second and third with no one out.

 

Staten Island second baseman Nick Solak followed with a single to score Rodriguez and move Isaacs to third. Leftfielder Andrew Calica would then single in Isaacs and move Solak to third. West Virginia rightfielder Hunter Owen then capped the scoring with a sac fly to center to bring in Solak and give the South a commanding 8-3 lead.

 

The North tried to make a game of it in the sixth. Batavia third baseman J.J. Gould doubled then went to third on a ground out. Hudson Valley first baseman Nate Lowe would then groundout to shortstop to score Gould and make the count 8-4.

 

However, the South immediately got the run back in the seventh. Brooklyn shortstop Colby Woodmansee started the inning with a double, then scored on an RBI single by West Virginia third baseman Danny Hudzina to push the lead back to five at 9-4.

 

The North got one more run in the bottom of the seventh as Lowell shortstop Carlos Tovar started the inning with a single. He moved to third on a double by Connecticut rightfielder Cole Bauml, then scored on a passed ball to make it 9-5.

 

Getting the win for the South was Brooklyn starter Harol Gonzalez who retired the only two men he faced in the third before the rains delayed the game. Taking the loss for the North was Hudson Valley's Serrapica in his own ballpark. The right-hander allowed four earned runs on four hits in 0.2 innings of work.

 

Garnering MVP honors for the South was Erlin Cerda of Mahoning Valley as his three-run homer proved to be the difference. The South had 11 hits including two singles from Williamsport's Jesus Alastre. Vermont's Mondou went 2-2 with a triple, RBI and run scored to lead the North. Bauml went 2-2 with a double and single for the North as well.

 

For Hudson Valley, starter Travis Ott began the game for the North and struck out two of the three men he faced in his lone inning. Adrian Navas also went two scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth.

 

At the plate, Renegades third baseman Jim Haley went 0-2, first baseman Nate Lowe went 0-1 with an RBI groundout, second baseman Miles Mastrobuoni went 1-2 with a double play and single, and centerfielder Angel Perez went 0-1.

 

The Renegades will restart their season Wednesday at Dutchess Stadium with the first game of a three-game series against the Auburn Doubledays. First-pitch is slated for 7:05. The starting pitchers have not been named for either team. For tickets, call 845-838-0094 or go to hvrenegades.com.