AFL 2014: Game 7: Bats Come Alive in the Desert

It was quite a day for The Scottsdale Scorpions on Tuesday in Mesa, Arizona. The offense pummeled the Mesa Solar Sox pitching for ten runs on ten hits. It was good that the offense jumped out early and locked down double digit runs, because by games end it would turn out they needed every one of them.

The Scorpions struck first with a big second inning. They scored four in the inning including an RBI double from former New York Yankees star Lee Mazzilli’s son and New York Mets prospect L.J. Mazzilli. San Francisco Giants outfield prospect Daniel Carbonell continued the onslaught in the third with a three-run bomb. Josh Bell and Matt Reynolds would drive in two more in the top of the fourth before the Solar Sox would get on the board. The Sox would chip away at the Scorpion lead, scoring five runs in the eighth and the ninth but inevitably it was not enough. Greg Bird was the only Yankees prospect in the line-up Tuesday. The first baseman finished 1-for-4 with a run scored and a walk. He is batting .360 on the AFL season.

Joely Rodriguez was the second Pirates prospect in a row to pitch a strong outing for the Scorpions. Rodriguez hurled three shutout innings striking out three en route to his first win of the season. Tampa Yankees pitcher, Kyle Haynes, struck out three over his two innings. Yankees prospect Alex Smith continued his AFL struggles. Smith was called upon to protect a 10-4 lead in the ninth but only lasted a third of an inning while yielding three runs. Phillies prospect Nefi Ogando shut the door on the Sox picking up his second save of the season.

The win is the fourth in a row and brings the Scorpions to 5-2. The Scorpions face the Surprise Saguaros Wednesday night. Phillies’ prospect Adam Morgan takes the mound for the Scorpions. First pitch is 9:35 PM EST.

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