Offensive outburst pushes Doubledays past Scrappers

NILES, O.H. - The Auburn Doubledays (32-23) scored a season-high 12 runs on Thursday and batted around twice, as they pushed past the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (26-29), 12-5, to earn a split of the two-game series. The overall season-series between the two clubs is now split 2-2.

The Doubledays held a 7-5 lead heading into the ninth inning, and then the flood gates opened. Auburn sent 11 men to the plate in the ninth, and only two came away with hits, both of which were run-producing singles. Three batters were walked in the inning and one was hit by a pitch. There was also a throwing error and a fielder's choice that allowed two more hitters aboard. When all was said and done the Doubledays had collected five runs in the frame, none of which were earned.

Auburn also batted around in the second inning to build a lead it would never relinquish. Facing a 1-0 deficit going into the frame, the Doubledays wound up sending nine men to the plate, scoring four runs on five hits and one walk. Of the five hits four were singles and one was a double. Four of the hits came with two outs in the inning, as Auburn totaled 15 hits for the game and seven two-out RBI.

The Doubledays weren't able to pull away until the ninth, however, because every time Auburn put a crooked number up on the scoreboard the Scrappers responded with a crooked number of their own. In the bottom of the second Mahoning Valley plated two runs, the first of which was driven in on an RBI triple from RF Juan Romero. Romero then scored from third on a single up the middle by 2B Robel Garcia, who wound up finishing the night with three hits.

First baseman Shawn Pleffner finished the night with four hits for the Doubledays, none bigger than his two-run double in the fourth, which extended Auburn's lead at the time to 6-3. Again, the Scrappers answered in the bottom of the frame with two runs of their own. Garcia smacked a two-out double to center field, and that was followed by three consecutive singles, the last of which was 3B Joe Wendle's second RBI single of the night.

LHP Nick Lee started for the Doubledays but only went 3.2 innings, so he could not be in line for the win despite exiting with the lead. Instead, it was RHP Silvio Medina (1-3), who snapped a personal three-game losing streak, who earned the win. Medina pitched 2.1 shutout innings allowing just one hit while striking out three. Starting RHP Luis Morel (2-3) suffered the loss for Mahoning Valley, as he lasted just 1.2 innings and allowed four earned runs on five hits and two walks.

The Doubledays next head to State College, PA to begin a two-game series with the State College Spikes on Friday August 17. RHP Ivan Pineyro (2-1) will make his fifth start of the summer for Auburn. He will go up against RHP Adrian Sampson (0-0) for State College. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm. All Doubledays road games can be heard on WAUB 98.1FM and 1590AM, and online at www.fingerlakesdailynews.com by clicking on the WAUB stream under the "listen" tab.