Scrappers Score Late To Down the Doubledays

AUBURN, NY -- The Auburn Doubledays, Short Season Class A affalite of the Washington Nationals, lost to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, Short Season Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, 5-4 on Friday night. The Scrappers have now won seven games in a row against the Doubledays.
Mahoning Valley (19-12) got the early jump in the top of the first, scoring one run on two errors and a passed ball. The Scrappers made it 4-0 in the fifth on five hits coupled with an error. Ernie Clement, Nolan Jones, and Oscar Gonzalez drove in runs with singles in the top of the fifth.
Auburn (11-20) cut into the lead with three runs in the bottom half of the fifth. Branden Boggetto and Chance Shepard provided the big blows of the inning, both smacking RBI doubles to left field. Boggetto now has hits in seven straight games, while Shepard has reached in his last 18 games. The Doubledays then tied the game with a single run in the bottom of the seventh when Kameron Esthay cracked a double into the right-centerfield gap, driving in Boggetto. Esthay has four doubles in his last four games.
Mahoning Valley took the lead for good in the top of the ninth. Ernie Clement and Austen Wade singled to start the inning, and moved to second and third when Samad Taylor dropped down a sacrifice bunt. Clement was promptly picked off third base by Jeyner Baez, but Nolan Jones walked to put runners on first and second with two outs. Oscar Gonzalez then grounded a single into right field to drive home Wade and put the Scrappers in front for good. Jeyner Baez walked to start the bottom of the ninth inning for the Doubledays and later moved to second, but was stranded there as Cameron Mingo earned the save in the ninth.
Auburn looks to salvage one game from the three-game series tomorrow night at 6:05. Alex Troop starts for the Doubledays, while Francisco Perez counters for the Scrappers.