The Scrappers lived up to their namesake on Tuesday night, as they gutted out a 5-4 win on a walk off by Jordan Taylor to sweep the Trenton Thunder.
Pitching dominated the first seven innings of this game. Thunder starter Derek Benzinger allowed 10 hits but just one run in his six innings of work, holding the Scrappers to just one hit in 11 at bats with runners in scoring position.
That hit came in the fourth inning when Kaikea Harrison ripped a double to score Tervell Johnson, making it 1-0, a score that would hold until the eighth.
Clayton Burke delivered the latest in a growing line of spectacular starts by Scrappers pitching, allowing just four hits and striking out four over seven innings of scoreless baseball.
The bats would wake up for both teams late, as the Thunder finally got on the board with an RBI double and RBI single in back to back at bats to take a 2-1 lead off Reagen Rivera.
Mahoning Valley would get off the mat to get both runs back in the bottom of the inning. Jaden Hylton pulled a ball just inside the third base bag and into the left field corner for a triple to plate two runs, putting Mahoning Valley back in front.
Justin Abercrombie came on for a second straight night trying to earn the save, but the Thunder got to him as well. After getting a double play to empty the bases with two outs, Abercrombie would walk a batter, then face AJ Swader who delivered a two run home run with Trenton seemingly on their last breath, not only in the game, but in their season, and it put Trenton ahead 4-3.
Abercrombie would walk two more before being lifted, giving way to Nick Anello, who would also walk the first batter he saw but then got a looking strikeout to end the ninth and keep the Scrappers with a pulse.
Mahoning Valley took their chance and ran with it in the ninth. Jason Torres and Zion Williams led off the ninth with singles, Johnson would bunt them into scoring position for Harrison, who slapped a game tying single into left field.
Then Jordan Taylor came to the plate with a chance to win the game, and he delivered.
He would ground a ball deep in the hole at shortstop. Daniel Murrilo fielded and made a throw to second for a force out, but Cy Turner had no chance to get Taylor at first, as he legged out the fielder’s choice, allowing the winning run to score, giving the Scrappers a “Scrappy” win 5-4.
Mahoning Valley earned their third three game sweep of the season with the win, and will look to play spoiler to the Aberdeen Ironbirds hopes at earning a spot in the MLBDL title game. The final three game series of the season begins Thursday, first pitch at 7:05 p.m.
