NILES — The Mahoning Valley Scrappers continue to shine at home.

On Sunday, the Scrappers lifted their home record to 16-8 with a 6-1 win over Trenton in front of 1,271 fans at Eastwood Field.

The Scrappers (22-20 / 5-7) are just 6-12 on the road, including an 0-4 start to the second half of the season.

The Scrappers scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the third inning. Hayden Moore reached second on a leadoff double, advanced to third on a groundout then scored on a Max Johnson grounder to second.

The Scrappers put together a three-run fourth inning to build their lead to 4-0. A single and a pair of walks loaded the bases with one out. Johnson came through again, this time collecting an RBI on a base hit. Patrick Roche followed that up with another single that plated a pair of runs.

The four runs were more than enough for Min-seong Jeong to pick up his first win in a Scrappers uniform. Jeong pitched six strong scoreless innings, giving up just one hit — a first inning double. Jeong recorded four strikeouts while issuing a pair of walks.

Scrappers reliever Garrett Harker entered the game in the seventh and issued a walk to the first batter he faced. The free pass eventually led to Trenton’s lone run of the day. Harker settled down to work a scoreless eighth.

The Scrappers then extended their lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning. Following two quick outs, Carson Hornung — batting .400 through 16 games — hit a two-out single. That was followed by Dreylin Holmes’ third home run of the year.

Cole Cheatham pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the game.

The Scrappers will now look to correct their road woes as they embark on a six-game trip which will take them to Williamsport and Trenton. They will return to Eastwood Field on Aug. 4 for a two-game series against Williamsport.

SMALL-TOWN DREAMS

Brock Olmstead is living proof that small-town life should never be a hindrance when it comes to fulfilling bigtime dreams.

In fact, Olmstead is convinced that growing up around a small but close-knit circle of family and friends helped pave his path to the MLB Draft League.

Olmstead is a catcher with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. He grew up in Petersburg, Michigan, which has a population of 1,100. His graduating class at Petersburg Summerfield High School included 51 seniors.

“I had a blast, it’s awesome to be in a school like that where everyone knows each other; you’re friends with everyone,” Olmstead said. “We won a state title in baseball my sophomore year. I like to believe that a huge part of our success had to do with team chemistry and the fact that we were a super close group of friends. Petersburg is a super small town. Everyone in town loves their sports and they rally around the high school sports programs.”

Olmstead would go on to play four years of baseball at Siena Heights University, a small NAIA school in nearby Adrian. He earned degrees in both Education and Business.

“Loved every minute of it,” Olmstead said. “I was blessed to be surrounded by some great coaches and teammates. I know that it’s rare for players to stay at such a small school for four years. I totally understand players transferring for personal reasons. I support the transfer portal and all, but I felt like I was at home.”

Home is where Olmstead fell in love with baseball. He idolized his two older brothers, Reid and Cal, and learned the game from them. In fact, while Brock played at Petersburg High, Reid served as an assistant coach at the school. Reid is currently the school’s head coach.

Brock also followed in his brothers’ footsteps when it came time to choose a college. Both Reid and Cal also played baseball at Siena Heights.

“We grew up playing all the sports in our back yard, I studied everything they did and tried to emulate what they did,” Olmstead said. “I saw how much they both enjoyed their time at Siena, so it was an easy choice to follow their lead.”

As a middle school student, Olmstead was torn between basketball and baseball. He was leaning toward a future in basketball until a coach intervened.

“A summer baseball coach sort of steered me in the right direction, he insisted that I could take baseball to the next level,” Olmstead said. “I’ll forever be grateful for that conversation. It really changed my outlook and it changed my whole path for the better.”

Olmstead says he grew up dreaming of being a pitcher, and that was his go-to position through Little League. He gained interest in catching in his early teens, “because I thought the gear was cool.” He alternated between pitching and catching through high school and entered college as a two-way player.

An arm injury reduced his time on the mound, and eventually he focused solely on his duties behind home plate.

“You definitely have to love playing the position, and I do,” Olmstead said. “I’ll say there are nights when I take a few stingers and it makes you wonder what the heck you are doing back there, but I seriously enjoy the role.

“I love the fact that I’m involved in every play. And I feel as though my time as a pitcher definitely helps me as a catcher. I always find myself naturally thinking as a pitcher. I have a better understanding of how pitchers like to work. That all helps me call a game.”

With degrees in both business and education, along with a background in construction, Olmstead knows that he has numerous options for his future beyond baseball. For now, he’s thankful to be playing the game in yet another small town with an opportunity to dream big regarding his baseball future.

“I’m blessed to have the opportunity to still be playing this game at this level,” Olmstead said. “I’m not sure where it goes from here, but my dream of playing pro ball is still alive. I’m just going to go out every day and use the skills that God has given me and make the best of it.”