The Mahoning Valley Scrappers have been struggling for offense through the first week of the 2012 season.  Monday night, the Scrappers managed to score a couple of runs, but Williamsport scored a third to win the game 3-2.

“We just are not scoring runs”, said Scrappers manager Ted Kubiak.  “After losing the three on the road, I was very pleased from a developmental standpoint of the day workout we had here today.  These kids are all very upbeat and were in good spirits today, we just did not get the win tonight.”

In the bottom of the third inning, the Scrappers scored the first run of the game when Jairo Kelly found his way on base and trotted home on a Charlie Valerio single.

The Scrappers would double their lead in the bottom of the fourth, taking a 2-0 lead.  Aaron Siliga crossed the plate with the run.  Siliga reached base on a double and later scored when Williamsport SS Roman Quinn could not handle a hard hit ball by the Scrappers Erik Gonzalez.  Although Quinn was given an error, Gonzalez was still credited with an RBI because Siliga broke on contact for home.

Luis DeJesus was cruising right along with a no-hitter into the fifth inning when Crosscutter right fielder Mitch Pointer made it a 2-1 game with one swing of the bat.  Pointer hit a DeJesus offering into the right field Scrappers bullpen.  Michael Peoples pitched the ninth for the Scrappers.

DeJesus pitched six full innings for the Scrappers, yielding just three hits, and striking out eight while walking none.

“He [DeJesus] is a hard worker”, said Scrappers pitching coach Greg Hibbard. “He is doing a good job of throwing his fastball on both sides of the plate and gets his breaking stuff over.  When he throws strikes and relies on the defense behind him, he will do well.”

“My dad always told me not to get mad or show emotion”, said DeJesus.  “My mentality after the home run was to keep going.  I was still confident and was surprised to learn that I had eight strikeouts tonight.”

The Scrappers could not hold the lead DeJesus managed to garner before exiting.  Larry Green scored on Pointer’s double with one out.  Cody Penny was the Scrapper to relieve DeJesus.  Penny had Green down with an 0-2 count before losing that battle.

The next batter, Mitch Walding singled up the middle to score Pointer and give Williamsport a 3-2 lead.

The Scrappers had a couple of runners on in the bottom of the ninth, but failed to score.