NILES — For the first time since the Mahoning Valley Scrappers joined the MLB Draft League in 2021, the Scrappers are in serious contention to clinch a berth in the league championship game.

In fact, if things go the Scrappers way in the final three games of the first half of the season, there would be a league title game at Eastwood Field in September.

The Scrappers on Wednesday defeated Williamsport 11-3, winning for the eighth time in their last 10 games. The game, which was an 11 a.m. start time, was played in front of 2,346 fans at Eastwood Field.

The Scrappers (15-12) entered the day one-half game behind both State College and West Virginia in the Draft League standings. All three teams have three more scheduled games before the first half of the season comes to an end.

The Scrappers conclude their first-half schedule with two games at West Virginia. The Scrappers are 5-0 against the Black Bears this season.

The first-half league champion earns the right to host the league’s second-half champion in a one-game title match.

After Williamsport scored a pair of runs in the top of the first, the Scrappers exploded for five runs in their half of the inning. The big blow came courtesy of a Ben Watson three-run homer, his second three-run blast in the span of 14 hours.

On Tuesday, Watson broke a 2-2 tie with an eighth inning home run, resulting in a Scrappers 5-2 win over Williamsport.

“Not sure if I ever had that sort of output in such a quick time span, given the quick turnaround from Tuesday night,” Watson said. “I’ve just been going up there taking simple swings at the ball, not trying to do too much. That’s usually when you get your best results.

“Earlier in the summer I was struggling a bit. I was pressing, and that’s usually when things don’t go well. Right now I’m playing free and having fun. It’s always a great feeling to contribute to a win.”

Watson noted that he left the ballpark Tuesday night just past 11 p.m. He was back at Eastwood Field nine hours later to get ready for Wednesday’s early start.

“Physically, it might take a little out of you, but mentally we were ready,” Watson said. “When you’re in a groove, whether it’s individually or as a team, you want to get right back out there. You want to keep the momentum rolling as quickly as possible.”

In the third inning, Watson continued his hot streak. The left fielder laced a one-out double to center field, then came around to score on a Keegan Rodin base hit, giving the Scrappers a 6-2 lead.

The Scrappers extended their lead in the seventh. A walk, a single and a hit batter loaded the bases with one out. Luca Danos walked to push across the seventh run. Then with two outs, Max Hartman singled, scoring a pair of runs.

The Scrappers continued to pour it on in the eighth. Carson Garner knocked in a run with a single. Danos capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.

Scrappers starter Mitch Dye rebounded from a rough first inning to earn the win. Dye worked six innings, giving up just two earned runs on two hits. He recorded six strikeouts.

Watson noted that while the Draft League is a showcase league, he and his teammates are well aware of the league standings, and they understand the importance of the next three days.

“We know where we’re at in the standings for sure,” Watson said. “We don’t try to make too much of it, we’re just taking things one day at a time. But at the same time every day you step on that field you play to win. It would be nice for this team to earn a first-half championship. It would be a great reward for the fans here because they’ve been super supportive all year long.”

The Scrappers conclude their three-game series with Williamsport tonight at 7:05 p.m., then play the two games at West Virginia on Friday and Saturday.