NILES — The Mahoning Valley Scrappers spent the month of June and early July battling for a first-half title in the MLB Draft League, and a berth in the league title game that goes with it. The Scrappers finished just one-half game behind State College in the standings.

The Scrappers are in no such position in the second-half of the season.

Though not mathematically out of the race, it’s safe to say the Scrappers’ playoff drought will extend to a seventh year. On Sunday, the Scrappers lost to West Virginia in sudden death in front of 2,293 fans at Eastwood Field.

The game was tied at 7-7 after nine innings. The Scrappers failed to score in sudden death, giving the win to West Virginia.

The loss drops the Scrappers’ second-half record to 8-17 (25-30 overall).

With 21 games remaining on the schedule, West Virginia (16-7) is 10 games ahead of the Scrappers in the second-half standings. The Black Bears also have the league’s best overall record at 33-19.

The Scrappers entered Sunday’s game with a league-worst 6.20 team ERA since the start of the second-half.

The beat continued right out of the gate. Scrappers starter Nolan Coil hit a pair of batters in the top of the first inning. Both runners eventually came around to score, giving the Black Bears a 2-0 lead.

The Scrappers quickly answered in the bottom half of the first when Carson Hornung knocked in a pair of runs with a double.

West Virginia regained the lead in the third on Alex Ungar’s second double and second RBI of the game. The Black Bears upped their lead to 6-2 with a three-run fourth inning.

The Scrappers cut their deficit in half in the fifth. Patrick Roche singled home Max Johnson, who led off the inning with a double. Roche came around to score on a throwing error.

West Virginia extended its lead to 7-4 before the Scrappers tied things up with a three-run seventh. Dreylin Holmes knocked in a pair of runs with a double. Hornung then struck again, knocking in Holmes with a single. Horning is leading the Scrappers with 23 RBI, while batting .333.

With the game tied at 7-7 after the ninth, the Scrappers chose to begin sudden death with a runner at first. The Scrappers loaded the bases with one out, however Patrick Roche and Theo Bryant both struck out to end the game in favor of the Black Bears.

Following a day off today the Scrappers begin a three-game series on Tuesday at Frederick. It will mark the Scrappers’ last-ever series against the Keys. Next year Frederick will replace the Aberdeen Ironbirds as the High-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Aberdeen will fill Frederick’s void in the MLB Draft League.

The Scrappers return home Friday for the start of a six-game homestand.