Niles, OH- The Frederick Keys dropped the second game of the three-game series against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers by a score of 7-4 Saturday night at Eastwood Field.
Despite the Keys getting a late rally in the eighth inning after scoring four runs in the frame, the Keys could not pull off the late comeback against the Scrappers, in what was the team’s fifth straight away game to open the season.
Bradon Zastrow (Arizona) started his season off with the Keys on a high note after striking out the side in order in the bottom of the first to keep the game scoreless after the first inning of play.
The Scrappers struck first on an RBI groundout from Jared Quandt in the bottom of the second, giving the home team a 1-0 lead heading into the third at Eastwood Field Saturday night.
Two more runs came around to score for the Scrappers in the third off a two-RBI double, but Zastrow ended the inning with his fifth strikeout, keeping it a 3-0 game in favor of Mahoning Valley entering the fourth inning.
After the Keys went scoreless in the top of the fourth, an RBI triple and an RBI groundout bumped up the lead for the Scrappers, with the score at 5-0 going into the fifth at Mahoning Valley.
Following two more runs coming home in the bottom of the fifth and sixth for Mahoning Valley to make it 7-0, Trevor Long (Arizona) recorded his second strikeout in relief to keep the home team further off the board, as the Scrappers still led by seven heading into seventh inning Saturday night.
Valek Cisneros (Central Oklahoma) threw a 1-2-3 seventh inning to hold the Scrappers scoreless in the frame, keeping it at a 7-0 ballgame entering the eighth, with the Keys in search of their first run.
The Keys plated home four runs in the top of the eighth off RBI singles from Tervell Johnson (UT-Rio Grande Valley) and Elijah Clayton (Oaks Christian HS), and a two-RBI double from Irvin Weems (San Diego State) cut the lead by more than half to 7-4 heading into the bottom of the eighth.
Despite the late rally from Frederick, the Keys went scoreless in the top of the ninth and fell to the Scrappers 7-4 Saturday night, in the second game of the three-game series.
The Keys conclude their season opening six-game road trip Sunday afternoon in the series finale against the Scrappers. First pitch from Eastwood Field is set for 2:05 p.m.
