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Scrappers yield league record 23 hits in defeat

NILES – The Scrappers surrendered 23 hits in a 13-8 loss to State College on Saturday night at Eastwood Field.

The Spikes’ 23 hits is the most single-game hits by a New York-Penn League team this season.

Scrappers starting pitcher Juan Hillman, a recent all-star, has seen his ERA rise from 0.89 to 4.08 over his last six starts. Hillman allowed six runs on 10 hits in three innings of work, including three runs on five hits in the top of the first inning alone.

“We’ve been talking to him (Hillman), he said he felt alright. Physically, he feel fine, he’s not tired. Mechanically, he said he’s fine,” Scrappers manager Edwin Rodriguez said. “He’s throwing his pitches up in the strike zone and he’s a pitcher who’s not gonna overpower the hitters, frequently.

“So, he needs to work at keeping his pitches down, that’s the key on him. I think this is his first season with the (tough) traveling (schedule) and all that. That’s part of the process, but the talent is there.”

The Scrappers (29-30) also found offensive success in the game, as they scored eight runs on 16 hits. Early on, however, they left several runners stranded in scoring position as they went 5-for-14 and left 11 runners on base.

However, things started to change for MV in the bottom of the third inning, as an Erlin Cerda single and a Gavin Collins sacrifice fly drove in two runs, making it a 6-2 State College lead through three innings.

The Scrappers added three more runs in the fourth inning, thanks to two more Cerda RBI’s, giving him three overall in a 2-for-5 night. However, reliever Ryan Perez struggled just as badly as Hillman, as he allowed a four-run fifth inning, as part of a five run, six hit, two-inning outing.

“He (Perez) was hurt pretty much the whole spring training and part of the extended spring training,” Rodriguez said. “So, he’s getting back and strengthening his arm. That’s what we’re seeing right now. He’s just trying to battle out there. As long as he’s fine and nothing hurts, we’re gonna keep throwing him out there.”

Eventually, State College (40-20) added runs in the seventh and eighth innings, as the Spikes finished the night 23-for-47 with every batter getting at least two hits. For MV, Emmanuel Tapia had three doubles, while Nate Winfrey went 3-for-4.

While the Scrappers may have had some missed opportunities in the early innings, their situational hitting has greatly improved throughout the season. According to Rodriguez, it starts with players adjusting to professional baseball.

“I think that was the difference with the first three weeks of the season. We were not playing the game, we were trying to just get the hits,” he said. “Like we (the coaches) keep saying (to the players), ‘The game talk to you.’ So, they were listening to the game. Everything started coming up with the runs and hits.”

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