NILES — The first half of the MLB Draft League season ended just as it began for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers – with a home game against West Virginia.

On June 1, the Scrappers defeated the Black Bears 7-4 in the opening game of the season.

On Tuesday, the Scrappers and Black Bears met again at Eastwood Field. This time, the Scrappers rolled to an 8-5 win.

The Scrappers finish the first portion of their split schedule with an 11-16 record. West Virginia stands at 15-11.

The Scrappers needed just one pitch to take a lead they never surrendered.

On the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning, Scrappers center fielder Jordan Williams belted his first home run of the season, a shot over the right field wall to give the Scrappers a 1-0 lead.

One inning later, a pair of walks and a pair of errors led to four unearned runs, giving the Scrappers a 5-0 advantage. Colton Coates had the biggest impact in the inning with a two-RBI base hit.

The Scrappers piled on three more runs in the fourth on a J.R. Bedford home run and a Mason Syles double,

Meanwhile, the Black Bears didn’t get a hit until the sixth inning as Scrappers starter Ahmad Harajli worked five hitless innings and struck out four while issuing three walks.

The Black Bears led off the sixth with an R.J. Johnson base hit, then scored three runs in the inning courtesy of three wild pitches, two walks, and a hit batter.

The game brought an end to the first portion of the league’s split season. Until now, rosters consisted of amateur/draft-eligible players from Division I-III, NAIA, junior college, and high school (graduating seniors) levels.

Following a two-day break, the league will resume play Friday.

Rosters will now consist of players who have exhausted their amateur eligibility. Players receive housing, meal money, travel, and weekly compensation.

“This is a great experience, the league is loaded with talent, first-class facilities, and great coaches,” said Scrappers infielder Colton Coates. “I heard a lot of really good things about this league over the past year. Everything I heard turned out to be true.”

Coates recently completed his high school senior season at DeSoto High School (Southhaven, MS). This coming fall he will play at Louisiana Tech. He was born in Louisiana and lived there until he was six years old.

“Playing at (Eastwood Field) is really cool because the fans are very supportive. They back the players all the way,” he said. “It’s great to look up in the stands and see so many fans throwing support your way. This all definitely helped prepare me for the next level.”

Scrappers pitcher Zane Barnhart is a 2020 graduate of Medina Highland High School. He just completed his junior season at Hillsdale (MI) College, where he earned Division II First-Team All-Region honors.

Barnhart recently entered the transfer portal, and is currently undecided on where he will continue his academic career while utilizing his final year of athletic eligibility.

“I’m just looking for a chance to improve my game and to improve my chances of playing at the next level,” Barnhart said. “That has always been my dream.”

“I feel like this league gave me a ton of exposure and it definitely improved my game and my opportunities moving forward.”

Barnhart was especially thrilled to play for the Scrappers, given that Eastwood Field is just 66 miles from home.

“It’s been great playing here, it’s awesome because my mom and dad have been able to make it to every home game, and I’ve had aunts and uncles come out,” Barnhart said.

Trenton finished the first half of the season with a league-best 18-7 record, giving the Thunder the right to host the league’s championship game. The Thunder will play host to the league’s second-half winner in a one-game championship match.

The Scrappers return to action Friday when they begin a three-game series at State College. They return home July 11 for the start of a three-game set against Frederick.