Auburn used a five-run first inning to coast past the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, 8-4, in the final game before the New York-Penn League All-Star Break.  The Scrappers chipped away but could never get the deficit to less than three.

Scrapper starter Jake Sisco dropped to 1-4 as he took the loss.  Sisco got roughed-up in the first inning.  After walking in the first run, Sisco gave up a grand slam to Carlos Lopez to make it 5-0 in favor of the Doubledays.

Mitch Nilsson (below), who finished the game with two hits, doubled to start off the second.  Nilsson moved to third on a single by Erik Gonzalez and later scored on a sac fly by Andrew Cambell.

Trailing 6-1, the Scrappers scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to make it a 6-3 game.  Robel Garcia singled in the fifth and moved to third on an Aaron Siliga hit.  Garcia would score the Scrappers second run on a Logan Vick groundout.    Charlie Valerio doubled and came home on a Nilsson single in the sixth.

Vick had to leave the game with an injury and his status is unknown.

Scott Peoples, Luis Encarnacion, and Josh Martin all had hitless and scoreless innings of relief pitching for the Scrappers.  Jack Wagoner did not fare as well as he was touched up for two runs in his seventh inning appearance.

The Scrappers head into the break six games behind the Doubledays.  If the Scrappers are to make a run for the postseason, they will have to get hot and win a few in a row with Auburn coming to town next week.  The Scrappers are 25-28 and currently find themselves in fourth place in the Pinckney Division.

Brooklyn currently holds the wildcard spot with a 34-20 record, so the Scrappers would probably have to catch Auburn (31-22) to realistically have a shot.