AUBURN - Minor league baseball teams are supposed to struggle early in the season. Players are usually unfamiliar with one another, as well as the manager and coaches - not to mention the ballpark and their surroundings.
That doesn't seem to be the case so far for the Auburn Doubledays, who continued to make winning look easy on Monday at Falcon Park. With their first loss out of the way - an extra inning defeat in State College Saturday - the Doubledays (6-1) resumed their dominance in all facets of the game against Mahoning Valley (3-4), winning 6-1.
A two-out David Cooper home run in the bottom of the first kicked off Auburn's offensive effort. The solo shot was the first career home run for the Blue Jays' first-round draft pick this year.
“That felt good - my first home run as a professional,” said Cooper, who ripped 19 homers at the University of California-Berkley this season. “I hit it pretty well, it was just a fastball right over the plate.”
Juan Valdes tied the score in the second, with a sacrifice fly to score Donnie Webb. But that was the last time Doubledays' starter Josh Wells would even come close to having a runner in scoring position.
“We're swinging the ball very well,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said. “Once again, pitching set the tone of the ballgame. For the second consecutive outing, Wells has given us five innings with a low pitch count.”
After a big offensive performance the previous night in State College, center fielder Bartolo Nicolas remained hot on Monday, belting a line drive single with the first at-bat of the second inning.
Nicolas would later score the go-ahead run on the first of six Scrapper errors.
Mahoning Valley's Guido Fonseca walked the first two batters in the third, after his offense couldn't get a runner on base in the top of the inning, before Cooper ripped an RBI double to score Steve Condotta to bridge the score to 4-1.
Leadoff batter Chris Hopkins scored earlier on a passed ball to Scrappers catcher Doug Pickens.
Doubledays right fielder Brian earned the second of his two hits on the night to score Cooper. Even though he struck out in the fifth, the Scrappers refused to take another chance pitching to Cooper, intentionally walking him with one out and one on in the seventh.
“Obviously, that means that they respect you as a player when they do that. It kind of felt good,” Cooper said.
The intent didn't quite pay off, however, as Hopkins later scored on an RBI single by Nicolas.
“I think, one through nine, we're dangerous,” Cooper said. “I think there aren't any weaklings in our lineup, and anybody can hit big on any given night.”
Fonseca suffered the loss for Mahoning Valley, his first of his professional career. The West Covina, Calif. native lasted just 2 2-3 innings, striking out one and allowing six of the Doubledays' seven hits.
The Scrappers sent four hurlers to the hill overall, and final the three - Mark Rodrigues, David Roberts and Anilin Martinez - combined to strike out eight and give up one hit.
Auburn's trio wasn't bad either. Wells, with a 0.90 ERA, earned his second win of the season, allowing five of the Scrappers six hits but fanning two.
Jimmy Dougher succeeded Wells for 2 2-3 frames, facing 10 batters and striking out one, while Matt Daly closed the show with a strikeout and one baserunner in 1 1-3.
Behind the mound, Auburn played flawless defense for the sixth time this season. They have just three on the year, while their opponents have totaled 20 in the first seven games.
“Defense is always going to be a question going into any ballclub,” Holmberg said. “You have an idea of what your pitching and offense is going to be like going in. But even last year's defense, as they played they got better, especially the infield. But right now, knock on wood, they've been doing a terrific job. But it's just the beginning of a long season - the eggs have been laid, but they haven't been hatched.”
Notes: Cooper's home run gave the Doubledays their first score in any first inning this season. They have yet to score in the eighth or ninth in any game. ...Designated hitter Adam Amar was the only Auburn hitter not to reach base, but he did advance runners in the third and seventh innings. ... Nicholas has now had five hits, scored four runs and driven in four runs in the last two games. ... Scrappers third baseman Jason Rodriguez had a particularly tough outing, committing three of the Scrappers five errors - two on consecutive plays in the fourth.
Doubledays 6
Scrappers 1
D-days Today
Record: 6-1
Standings: First place, 1.5-game lead
Next: vs. Mahoning Valley, 7 p.m.
A two-out David Cooper home run in the bottom of the first kicked off Auburn's offensive effort. The solo shot was the first career home run for the Blue Jays' first-round draft pick this year.
“That felt good - my first home run as a professional,” said Cooper, who ripped 19 homers at the University of California-Berkley this season. “I hit it pretty well, it was just a fastball right over the plate.”
Juan Valdes tied the score in the second, with a sacrifice fly to score Donnie Webb. But that was the last time Doubledays' starter Josh Wells would even come close to having a runner in scoring position.
“We're swinging the ball very well,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said. “Once again, pitching set the tone of the ballgame. For the second consecutive outing, Wells has given us five innings with a low pitch count.”
After a big offensive performance the previous night in State College, center fielder Bartolo Nicolas remained hot on Monday, belting a line drive single with the first at-bat of the second inning.
Nicolas would later score the go-ahead run on the first of six Scrapper errors.
Mahoning Valley's Guido Fonseca walked the first two batters in the third, after his offense couldn't get a runner on base in the top of the inning, before Cooper ripped an RBI double to score Steve Condotta to bridge the score to 4-1.
Leadoff batter Chris Hopkins scored earlier on a passed ball to Scrappers catcher Doug Pickens.
Doubledays right fielder Brian earned the second of his two hits on the night to score Cooper. Even though he struck out in the fifth, the Scrappers refused to take another chance pitching to Cooper, intentionally walking him with one out and one on in the seventh.
“Obviously, that means that they respect you as a player when they do that. It kind of felt good,” Cooper said.
The intent didn't quite pay off, however, as Hopkins later scored on an RBI single by Nicolas.
“I think, one through nine, we're dangerous,” Cooper said. “I think there aren't any weaklings in our lineup, and anybody can hit big on any given night.”
Fonseca suffered the loss for Mahoning Valley, his first of his professional career. The West Covina, Calif. native lasted just 2 2-3 innings, striking out one and allowing six of the Doubledays' seven hits.
The Scrappers sent four hurlers to the hill overall, and final the three - Mark Rodrigues, David Roberts and Anilin Martinez - combined to strike out eight and give up one hit.
Auburn's trio wasn't bad either. Wells, with a 0.90 ERA, earned his second win of the season, allowing five of the Scrappers six hits but fanning two.
Jimmy Dougher succeeded Wells for 2 2-3 frames, facing 10 batters and striking out one, while Matt Daly closed the show with a strikeout and one baserunner in 1 1-3.
Behind the mound, Auburn played flawless defense for the sixth time this season. They have just three on the year, while their opponents have totaled 20 in the first seven games.
“Defense is always going to be a question going into any ballclub,” Holmberg said. “You have an idea of what your pitching and offense is going to be like going in. But even last year's defense, as they played they got better, especially the infield. But right now, knock on wood, they've been doing a terrific job. But it's just the beginning of a long season - the eggs have been laid, but they haven't been hatched.”
Notes: Cooper's home run gave the Doubledays their first score in any first inning this season. They have yet to score in the eighth or ninth in any game. ...Designated hitter Adam Amar was the only Auburn hitter not to reach base, but he did advance runners in the third and seventh innings. ... Nicholas has now had five hits, scored four runs and driven in four runs in the last two games. ... Scrappers third baseman Jason Rodriguez had a particularly tough outing, committing three of the Scrappers five errors - two on consecutive plays in the fourth.
Doubledays 6
Scrappers 1
D-days Today
Record: 6-1
Standings: First place, 1.5-game lead
Next: vs. Mahoning Valley, 7 p.m.
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