Frederick, MD- The Frederick Keys dropped their final game of the first half Saturday night against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, losing the contest by a score of 7-4 at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
The Keys could not come back from an early 5-0 deficit and fell to the Scrappers for the first time since early June, as they head into the break with a 15-17 overall record.
Mahoning Valley scored five runs in the top of the first off of several RBI singles, making it a 5-0 lead through a half inning of play in favor of the Scrappers.
Allan Gil-Fernandez (State College of Florida) brought home his team leading 17th RBI in the bottom of the first to make it a 5-1 game entering the second, with his team still down by four in Frederick.
Two more RBIs from the Scrappers increased their advantage to six at 7-1 going into the third, after the Keys went scoreless for the first time of the game in the bottom of the frame.
Evan Yates (Cal State Fullerton) picked up a scoreless top of the third inning on the hill, taking the contest into the fourth with the Scrappers still ahead at 7-1 at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
After each side went scoreless in the fourth, Brayden Kurtz (George Washington) struck out the side in the top of the fifth and recorded a scoreless inning in doing so, keeping it a 7-1 game going into the sixth in the Key City.
Following each bullpen recording a scoreless sixth inning of play, Dawson Netz (Arizona) recorded a scoreless top of the seventh, and JoJo Jackson (Georgia St) got himself a two-RBI triple to make it a 7-3 game.
Additionally, an RBI double from Gil-Fernandez put the score at 7-4 going into the eighth, with the Keys gaining back the momentum heading into the home stretch of the contest.
After each team went scoreless in the eighth, Valek Cisneros (Central Oklahoma) pitched a scoreless top of the ninth, but the Keys went scoreless themselves in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win for Mahoning Valley by a score of 7-4.
The Keys go into the break between the first and second half with the second half set to start at on Thursday at Williamsport. First pitch from Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field is set for 6:35 p.m. Thursday night.
