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NILES -- For a second straight night, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers sent out a starting pitcher with an 8.10 ERA against the best team in the MLB Draft League.
For a second straight night, the Scrappers starter responded like he was the ace of the pitching staff through five innings.
On Thursday, Scrappers starter Alexander Llinas worked five-plus innings, giving up just one run on five hits with six strikeouts in a Scrappers win over Williamsport. Llinas held Williamsport scoreless through five innings but gave up the run without retiring a batter in the sixth.
On Friday, Blake Lobell held the Crosscutters scoreless through five innings, giving up just two hits. However, Lobell was touched up for two runs in the sixth on a walk, a triple and a sacrifice fly. Lobell exited the game after six innings with the Scrappers ahead 3-2.
Williamsport eventually tied the game, but for a second straight night the Scrappers won in walk-off fashion, this time a 4-3 win over Williamsport in front of 3,710 fans at 717 Credit Union Field.
The Scrappers scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, Maddox Mihalakis tripled, then scored on a Cooper Vance RBI groundout.
Mihalakis and Vance have provided a strong one-two punch at the top of the Scrappers' lineup. Mihalakis is batting .342. He leads the team in home runs (five) and RBI (25). Vance is batting .355 with 18 RBI.
Vance struck again in the second. A Jordan Taylor single and a Mihalakis walk put runners on first and second, and Vance gave the Scrappers a 2-0 lead with an RBI single.
After Williamsport scored two runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 2-2, the Scrappers responded in their half of the sixth. Tervell Johnson doubled to bring home Mike Young.
Again, Williamsport answered, this time scoring a run in the eighth to tie the game at 3-3 on a Jack Kail single.
With the game tied, Taylor led off the bottom of the ninth with a double. Taylor moved to third on a Davis Mauzy sacrifice bunt. Mihalakas and Vance were both intentionally walked. Then with two out, Cayden Evans ripped a single to right field to push across the winning run.
The Scrappers now embark on a five-game road trip which will take them to West Virginia and State College. They will return home next Friday for the start of a six-game homestand.