Doubledays Secure Series Win Against Scrappers

AUBURN, NY - With runners on second and third and one out in the 10th inning, it was up to Jake Alu to break the dramatic standstill that was created the previous frame. The Scrappers tied things up at 2-apiece with two outs in the ninth inning to put a pause on the lightning quick game that was unfolding at Falcon Park and take the contest into extra innings. 
After an eight pitch battle, with Alu lined the game-winning single up the middle to not only give Auburn (26-43) a 3-2 win over the Scrappers (34-35), but also their first walk-off win of the season.
To say that Tuesday night's win sped by was an understatement, as - even in 10 innings - the game lasted just over two and a half hours. Auburn starter Lucas Knowles worked fast and blazed past the competition in his three-inning outing, throwing only six pitches his first inning and finishing his four frames of work with just 49 overall. The same could definitely be said about Scrappers starter Hunter Gaddis, however, as the 5th round draft pick was perfect in his three innings of work. 
While the next pitcher up for Mahoning Valley, Matt Waldron, was equally impressive, the Doubledays were finally able to get some offense going against the right hander. A pair of doubles in the fifth inning gave Auburn its first run of the ballgame, and a force-out by Jake Randa brought in Ricardo Mendez from third base in the sixth. 
Rafael Gomez relieved Knowles in the fifth and took the contest all the way until the last out of the 10th. He pitched exceptionally well, allowing just three hits while striking out five. Two of those three hits, however, were solo home runs - the last of which tied the game. 
Gomez started off the top of the ninth with a strikeout and then got Will Brennan to flyout to Eric Senior in left field. But after a six-pitch battle, Bryan Lavastida launched the game-tying home run to left field to silence the crowd at Falcon Park. The Doubledays went down in order in the bottom of the night and went into extras.
Onix Vega was intentionally walked in the bottom of the 10th after Gomez worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the inning, and both he and Auburn's intentionally placed runner at second advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch. Wilmer Perez struck out, but Alu was able to connect on an inside pitch for the walk-off win.
The Doubledays are back in action for a doubleheader against the Crosscutters on Wednesday at 5:05 PM.