[Empty Body]
Niles, OH- Will Benson picked up his first career multi homerun game on Saturday night at Eastwood Field as the Mahoning Valley Scrappers topped the West Virginia Black Bears 4-1. With the win the Scrappers win the series and take a two game lead in the Pinckney Division with 13 games left to play.
The Scrappers started the scoring in the bottom of the second inning. With one out Ulysses Cantu walked. Benson followed with a two run homer off the scoreboard in right field, putting the Scrappers up 2-0.
Mahoning Valley added to the lead in the bottom of the third. Nolan Jones reached on a ground rule double with one out. Then with two outs, Oscar Gonzalez singled home Jones to push the lead out to 3-1.
West Virginia got on the board on a solo homerun from Tristan Gray in the sixth inning. The Black Bears would load the bases with one out in the top of the seventh inning, but Kyle Nelson would come out of the bullpen and retire the first two batters he faced to leave the bases loaded.
Benson struck again in the bottom of the eighth. With one out he connected on a solo homerun to right to push the Scrappers lead out to the final of 4-1.
Francisco Perez (4-4) started and earned the win in 6.0 innings of work. He allowed one earned run on five hits. Perez did not walk a batter and struck out two. Ping-Hsueh Chen would follow, working 0.1 of an inning. He walked three. Nelson then went 1.2 innings in relief. He did not allow a baserunner while striking out three. Riley Echols (2) worked a perfect ninth inning for the save. Echols struck out two.
The Scrappers will go for the three game sweep over the Black Bears on Sunday afternoon. Same Hentges will get the start. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05. Sunday is Bark in the Park day. Call the Scrappers box office at 330-505-0000 to get your tickets or get them online at www.mvscrappers.com.
