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NILES -- Wednesday's game between the Williamsport Crosscutters and Mahoning Valley Scrappers featured a matchup of polar opposites in the MLB Draft League.
Williamsport is already assured of hosting the Draft League title game courtesy of their first-place finish in the first half of the season. The Crosscutters also own the league's best overall record.
The Scrappers, meanwhile, finished last in the first-half standings and own the league's worst overall record.
The season-long trends continued with an 8-3 Crosscutters win over the Scrappers at 7 17 Credit Union Field.
The Scrappers fall to 18-28 / 5-12. Williamsport lifts its record to 30-15 / 10-8.
The Scrappers scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Jayden Hylton singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a Cooper Vance base hit. Vance, a New Waterford native, has 16 RBI in 15 games.
Scrappers starter Alex Kanipe worked three scoreless innings, giving up two hits while recording a pair of strikeouts. Kanipe has worked in three games this year, giving up just one run with nine strikeouts through nine innings.
However, Williamsport greeted Scrappers reliever Nick Anello by scoring a pair of runs in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. Back-to-back walks to lead off the inning led to the two runs.
The Crosscutters extended their lead to 4-1 in the fifth. Owen Prince, who singled to lead off the inning, scored on a fielder's choice. Jack Kail plated a run with a double.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Scrappers loaded the bases with one out on a pair of walks and a Maddox Mihalakis single. Vance cut the Scrappers' deficit to 4-2 with a sacrifice fly, however the Scrappers were unable to push any more runs across the plate in the inning.
Williamsport added four runs in the ninth to bust the game wide open.
Hylton homered in the bottom of the ninth for the Scrappers.
The Scrappers and Crosscutters continue their three-game series tonight at 7:05 p.m. Tonight is a Buck Night, with $1 specials on tickets, hot dogs and drinks.
WILLIAMS BACK THRIVING AFTER YEAR OFF
Mahoning Valley Scrappers outfielder Zion Williams says that he is living proof that absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder.
In Williams' case, a year away from baseball provided him the drive to return and remain in the game for as long as possible.
A native of Seattle, Washington, Williams attended Curtis Senior High School, where he was an all-state standout on the baseball field. In his senior season, Williams posted a .422 batting average with a .480 on-base percentage, .644 slugging percentage and 10 stolen bases.
While Williams received numerous offers from schools throughout the region, he was missing a Division I offer he had hoped for. He opted to enroll at the University of Washington where he began studying Computer Science. He also had plans of joining the Huskies baseball team as a walk-on.
"I really thought I had the stats to be a DI player, I was determined that it was going to be DI or nothing," Williams said.
Unfortunately for Williams, the UW roster was full, and he suddenly found himself not playing baseball for the first time in more than a decade.
Williams spent an entire year away from the game. During that time he never stopped working on his game, hoping that he would find his way back to the diamond.
"Every day, I trained at six in the morning," Williams said. "I would work out on a turf field that was right next to the baseball field where the (UW) baseball team practiced. I vividly remember one specific day where the music was blaring, those guys were taking batting practice and I suddenly had an incredible urge to get back in the game.
"That day, I had a hunger to play baseball like I never had before. Looking back, I'm grateful for that period in my life because I needed that time to help get me back in the game to where I'm at now."
The following year Williams enrolled at a junior college, where he played for two years before catching the attention of the Loyola Marymount coaching staff. He would go on to conclude his collegiate career at ULM.
In his two years at Loyola Marymount, Williams played in 97 games. He logged a two-year batting average of .272, including a .310 clip during his junior season. Williams hit 11 home runs and tallied 62 RBI with the Lions.
"My first year back after my layoff, I was late on my swing for a good two months," Williams said. "I was like, 'What's going on here, this isn't right.' But at the same time, I knew I belonged and I just kept plugging away.
"When Loyola reached out, I immediately knew it was the right fit. A great culture and some very solid people in that program."
Williams' solid junior season opened up opportunities to play elsewhere, but he chose to stay at ULM. This past spring, ULM posted a 12-44 record, but Williams says he has no regrets.
"They were the first (DI) school to give me a chance," Williams said. "It's strange, because this past year was one of the worst baseball years of my life in terms of wins and losses, but it was also one of my favorite years. The whole process of learning how to handle adversity. How to fix things. How to build relationships during trying times. Looking back, it was a rewarding experience.
"All of that led me here, to the MLB Draft League where I have an opportunity to show that I deserve to play at the next level. I can't ask for anything more than that."
Two weeks into the second-half of the Draft League schedule, Williams has now experienced the every-day play, the full days at the ballparks and the travel. He says that "from the outside looking in, it might look like a struggle." He views it as an opportunity to continue living out a dream.
"Our first road trip, we went from New Jersey to West Virginia in a cramped bus, and we arrived at like six in the morning for a game later that day," Williams said. "It all seems crazy, but not to someone who loves this game.
"I'm playing against guys from the ACC, the SEC. At Marymount I never had that opportunity. I'm having a blast. I have a great opportunity to see where I belong, and I want to make the best of it."