University Park -- What a difference a
night makes. On Monday evening, the Spikes were limited to only one run on
three hits en route to their seventh straight victory. A day later, the Spikes
bats made up for lost time, scoring nine runs on 14 hits to push their win
streak to eight. It was a total team effort on Tuesday, as all nine
starters collected at least one base hit and seven different Spikes drove in a
run. Brian Tracy (2-0)
got the win after tossing four strong innings of relief, allowing only one run
on two hits.
The Muckdogs came into the game without a run in
their last 16 innings against State College,
but broke out of that funk quickly. After a walk to leadoff hitter Oliver
Marmol and a stolen base, Daniel Descalso drove home the first run of the game
with a lined single to left that gave Batavia
the early 1-0 edge. The lead wouldn’t last long though, because in the bottom
of the frame Justin Byler
plated Keanon Simon with
a double to knot the score at 1-1.
Batavia responded quickly,
posting a single run in the top of the second to take a 2-1 advantage, but once
again State College answered in their half of
the inning. Michael Ambrose started
the rally with a double to left and later scored on a throwing error by Batavia catcher Nick
Derba to even the score at 2-2. But the Spikes bats were just getting
started, as three straight hits from James
Barksdale, Nick Stillwagon and
Austin McClune netted two
more runs, and the Spikes had take their first lead of the game at
4-2. After the first out of the inning moved McClune into scoring
position, Simon joined the hit parade with an RBI single of his own.
Byler then walked to put two runners on, before three more hits from Andrew Walker, Bobby Spain and
Ambrose pushed another pair of runs across to round out the scoring. When
all was said and done, the Spikes had sent 11 men to the plate, collected seven
hits and took a commanding 7-2 lead.
State College tacked on a single run in the fourth
and another in the fifth courtesy of Nick
Stillwagon’s first home run of the season to make the score
9-2. Batavia
tried to mount a comeback, scoring once in the seventh, but that is all the
offense they would muster as the Spikes ran away with a 9-3 victory to sweep
the series from the Muckdogs.
State College will return to action
Wednesday afternoon, with a special 1:00 p.m. start time, when they square off
with the Williamsport Crosscutters. The Crosscutters and Spikes are currently
tied for the Pinckney Division lead with identical 10-5 records. RHP Nicolas Suero (1-0, 1.50) will make
the start for State College.
For more information,
click here.
