Spikes make it Two Straight over Yankees
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Updated: July 12, 2012
Barrios, playing his first game of the year at second base, delivered State College's (13-11) first hit in the third inning off of Staten Island (9-15) starter Corey Black, but the Spikes could only muster two hits against Black through the first five frames.
In the sixth inning, though, State College erased the three-run deficit by leading off with three straight hits. Jared Lakind and Barrios rapped back-to-back singles, then Tyler Gaffney produced his first professional hit when his groundball hit the lip of the infield and bounced off of the shortstop's glove into center field for an RBI double. Ryan Hornback followed with an RBI groundout to draw the Spikes within a run, and Gaffney came in to score on a wild pitch to tie the game, 3-3.
State College then took the lead for good in the seventh inning. Jacob Stallings began the surge with a leadoff double, then went to third on a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Barrios singled for the third time to bring in Stallings and make it 4-3. Tyler Gaffney's single to center field, combined with a Staten Island error, then brought home Barrios to tack on the final run of the game.
The Yankees had taken their 3-0 lead in the third inning, when Claudio Custodio singled and came around to score on a passed ball. Saxon Butler and Matt Snyder then produced consecutive doubles, with Snyder's plating a pair of runs to give Staten Island the largest advantage it would enjoy all game.
Gaffney, the Pirates' 24th-round draft choice in 2012 and a two-sport star in baseball and football at Stanford, finished the game 2-for-3 with a stolen base. Barrett Barnes added two stolen bases after taking second base, then third, in the seventh inning.
Tom Harlan (2-3) notched the win for State College after hurling three scoreless innings of relief. The left-hander allowed three hits and struck out one in the effort. Jordan Cooper (2) earned the save after finishing the game with two shutout innings in which he yielded two hits and struck out two. Starter Jake Burnette yielded three runs on four hits and two walks in four innings of work, but did not play a part in the decision.
From State College Spikes reports:
