The Scrappers pulled off another comeback win on Saturday night, taking game two of the weekend series against West Virginia 7-6.
Jarren Purify led the game off with a bang, going nearly 400 feet to left center field for a lead off home run, his third of the season.
The Black Bears would get a pair of runs in the third off starter Hunter Watson, who made his 2026 season debut. An inside the park home run by Marcus Bradshaw and an RBI groundout by Isaac Wachsman made it 2-0 West Virginia.
Mahoning Valley answered immediately on a RBI single by Carlos Sanchez, tying the game 2-2.
The Black Bears then went on a home run barrage, as Grayson Fitzwater, Dylan Schlaegel, and Wachsman all went yard in consecutive innings to build the West Virginia lead.
The Scrappers got a run on a wild pitch in the fifth, so the score would be 6-3 after Wachsmann’s homer in the seventh.
Then came the Scrappers offense. Ryan Nelson came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out in the inning, and delivered a two run double into the right field corner to make it a one run game.
With runners still on second and third, Carlos Sanchez came to the dish and crushed a double over the head of the center fielder Schlaegel, scoring the tying and go ahead runs in the seventh.
Jay Newman would pitch a perfect eighth inning, and Chris Billingsly came on for the save.
He would get Beau Sylvester to strikeout with two outs in the ninth, but the ball would get away from the catcher Sanchez, putting runners on the corners for West Virginia with two outs in the inning. Jose Fernandez would pinch hit in the spot, and lined the first pitch to the right side of the infield, but the second baseman Purify would make a leaping grab for the out to preserve the win.
The series is now even at a game a piece, the rubber match is tomorrow. First pitch at2:05 p.m. at 7 17 Credit Union Field at Eastwood.
