NILES — For the first eight innings of Sunday’s game between State College and Mahoning Valley, hits and runs were at a premium as the Scrappers were looking to earn their first three-game sweep in five weeks.

In the ninth, the Spikes’ bats came to life, resulting in a 7-1 State College win over the Scrappers at Eastwood Field.

Leading by just one run after eight innings, the Spikes erupted for five runs in the ninth to lift their record to 29-30 (12-18). The Spikes have already clinched a berth in the MLB Draft League title game by finishing atop the first-half standings.

The Scrappers fall to 28-33 (11-20).

Despite the setback, Scrappers starter Robert Helt turned in perhaps his best performance of the season. The Willoughby native worked five scoreless innings, surrendering just two hits while recording five strikeouts.

However, the Scrappers were unable to provide any run support for Helt.

The Scrappers were able to take a brief 1-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth when Patrick Roche belted his first home run of the season.

However, State College quickly answered in the top of the seventh. Manny Jackson opened the inning with a walk. One out later, Trotter Boston hit his first home run of the season, giving the Spikes a 2-1 lead they would never surrender.

In the ninth, the Spikes sent nine men to the plate, scoring the five runs on four hits. Jaden Collura provided the big blow in the inning with a two RBI double.

The Scrappers return to Eastwood Field Tuesday for the start of a three-game series against West Virginia.

BRYANT STICKS TO BUSINESS

When it comes to baseball, Mahoning Valley Scrappers outfielder Theo Bryant is all business.

Granted, Bryant still has plenty of fun at the ballpark. He refers to the sport as his “first love,” and says he’s going to play the game as long as possible.

Still, Bryant is determined to get the most out of what he does, and he says in order for that to happen he has to take a businessman-like approach when it comes to preparation.

“A lot of people don’t understand what it takes to play just one game,” Bryant said. “The preparation, the behind-the-scenes work, the daily grind before we actually play the games. All of that work leading up to the first pitch every night determines what type of success or failure you’ll have once a game starts.

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s all part of the game. It’s what I love to do.”

Bryant graduated from Southwest DeKalb (GA) High School in 2019, where he was a preseason Southeast Region All-American while ranked as the fifth-best outfielder in the state. He then followed the footsteps of his older brother, Tyler, who at the time was a junior at Tennessee Tech.

Bryant played in 15 games at Tennessee Tech in the spring of 2020 before the season was shut down due to COVID. It was during the shutdown period when Bryant put his “baseball is business” mentality to the test.

“That was a crazy, interesting time,” Bryant said. “No one really knew what COVID was, no one knew how long we were going to be shut down. It was difficult at times to just get on a field because everything was locked up. For so much of that period, you were pretty much on your own in terms of staying in shape and staying in baseball form.”

At the time, Bryant was living with his brother on the Tennessee Tech campus. He says that the two “held each other accountable,” and they stuck to a daily routine which included lifting weights, hitting in batting cages, and working on their fielding whenever and wherever they could find an open space.

“I come from a strong sports family, so luckily I grew up seeing what it takes to continue on, no matter what sport you’re playing,” Bryant said. “I just knew I wanted to be in this game for a long time. I didn’t want to come back from the lockdown being two steps back. I wanted to be ahead of where I was before things shut down.”

Bryant played in 144 games during his four-year career at TT, where he also graduated with a degree in Political Science.

Because of the COVID shutdown, Bryant still had a year of athletic eligibility following his four years at TT. This past spring, he played at Tulane, where he was enrolled as a graduate student studying Emergency Management.

With the Green Wave, Bryant played in 49 games (24 starts). He batted .311 with six home runs and 21 RBI.

Bryant then joined the Scrappers in mid-July, where he brought with him his strong work ethic.

“Even before I come to the ballpark, I hit the gym every-other-day,” Bryant said. “From there it’s to the stadium for stretching, fielding, team workouts, team meetings, batting practice and anything else that needs to be done.

“I might put in nine hours of work leading up to a three-hour game. But it’s what we do. It’s what we love to do.”

Though now listed as an outfielder, Bryant noted that he has played every position on the diamond at some point during his career. He says he feels naturally comfortable at shortstop, “because I feel like I’m athletically built for the position, and because that was my original position.”

However he is very quick to point out he’ll play wherever needed, as long as it means he gets to continue to pursue a childhood dream.

“I always wanted to play pro ball, it’s been my goal for as long as I can remember,” Bryant said. “That’s why I’m here. That’s why I put in all the work. As long as I’m given the chance to play, that dream is still alive.”