NILES, OH – The Frederick Keys fell in the road series opener to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers Wednesday night, losing by a score of 12-6 at Eastwood Field.
The Keys could not keep up with the Scrappers offense who finished with 12 hits, as the book turns to game two of the three-game series Thursday night on the road at Mahoning Valley.
Frederick started out fast in the top of the first with an RBI sacrifice fly from Cam Hassert (Loyola Marymount), but Mahoning Valley took a 3-1 lead heading into the second courtesy of a two-RBI double and a Keys error in the bottom of the first.
The Keys however got two runs in the top of the second off a two-RBI double from Jamal Ritter (Norfolk St) tying the score at three apiece entering the third after a scoreless bottom of the frame thrown by Harold Baez (Bethune-Cookman).
Mahoning Valley took a 7-3 lead going into the fourth as a late four-run rally capped off by a two-run homer put the home team in front by four through three innings at Eastwood Field.
An RBI single for the Scrappers gave them an 8-3 advantage entering the fifth, but Baez finished the frame strong and kept his team in it throughout the middle innings Wednesday night.
Following a scoreless bottom of the fifth thrown by Valek Cisneros (Central Oklahoma), a bases loaded walk drawn by Dylan Symonds (Keiser) cut the Scrappers lead to 8-4, but a three-run inning by the home team gave the Scrappers their largest lead of seven at 11-4 heading into the seventh in Niles.
Hassert recorded an RBI double in the top of the seventh to bring the deficit down to six at 11-5, as despite a 12th run coming home for Mahoning Valley in the bottom of the frame, Griffin Green (Wake Forest) recorded four strikeouts to keep the Scrappers further off the board.
Parks Bouck (Lipscomb) got his first RBI of the season in the top of the eighth on an RBI single to right, and Esteban Rodriguez (Richmond) recorded two strikeouts in the bottom of the frame, taking the contest into the ninth with the Keys down 12-6.
The Keys went off the board in the top of the ninth in 1-2-3 fashion and therefore fell in the series opener to the Scrappers Wednesday night by a score of 12-6 in northeast Ohio.
The Keys continue the three-game set from Eastwood Field Thursday night at Eastwood Field, with first pitch for game two of three against the Scrappers set for 7:05 p.m.
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