Spikes Cool Off ValleyCats
By:
Updated: July 4, 2012
Barnes's two-run round-tripper in the third inning occurred when Tri-City (13-4) left fielder Dan Gulbransen leapt against the left field wall to try and make a catch, but fell to the ground with the ball bouncing away after knocking the top portions of the wall into both the ValleyCats bullpen and the warning track. The game marked the second time this season that Barnes, the Pirates' 2012 supplemental first-round draft choice, delivered four hits in a game as he went 4-for-4 with a walk, a double and two runs scored.
State College (9-8) suffered an early setback when Tri-City second baseman Aaron Elkins led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run to right field off of Spikes starter Adrian Sampson. However, Sampson settled down and allowed just two walks the rest of the way and retired the last seven batters he faced over his three innings on the mound.
The Spikes then tied the game in the third inning when Crumlich knocked in a run with a single to left field. After Barnes scurried around the bases to give State College its first lead of the game in the third, the Spikes added another run in the sixth inning on an RBI groundout by Samuel Gonzalez.
Crumlich extended the State College advantage in the seventh inning with his first professional home run. The UC-Irvine product sent a 1-0 pitch from ValleyCats reliever John Neely over the left field fence for a solo shot that made it 5-1, Spikes. Crumlich ended the game 3-for-5 at the plate with a run scored as well as two runs batted in.
From State College Spikes reports:
