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Stallings, Spikes Catch Fire in 11-2 Rout of Yankees

July 13, 2012 - New York-Penn League (NYPL) State College Spikes

STATE COLLEGE, PA - Jacob Stallings led the State College Spikes' offensive barrage with four hits and two runs batted in to help Luis Heredia earn his first win with the Spikes as they pounded the Staten Island Yankees, 11-2, on Friday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

The win gave State College (14-11) a three-game sweep of Staten Island (9-16), the third time this year the Spikes have swept a three-game series. The only other time in franchise history that State College earned a hat trick of sweeps was in 2007.

The Spikes started their hitting onslaught early, as Chris Diaz brought in a run with a fielder's choice to make it 1-0 in the first inning. In the second inning, State College broke the game open with a four-run frame, starting with a Stallings double and continuing with back-to-back singles by Samuel Gonzalez and Yhonathan Barrios to extend the lead to 2-0. After a pair of runs scored on outs, D.J. Crumlich delivered another single to make it 5-0, State College.

Staten Island responded with a single run in the third off of Heredia (1-1), but the 17-year-old right-hander would allow only that run on a total of three hits and three walks over five innings of work. Heredia was held without a strikeout for the first time this season, but earned the win as the Spikes only produced more offense in the ensuing innings.

State College put up another four-spot in the sixth inning, with each run scoring on the second out or afterwards. Barrios grounded out to drive in a run to start off the surge, and then after Tyler Gaffney was hit by a pitch, Ryan Hornback and Barrett Barnes produced consecutive RBI single to make it 8-2, Spikes. Gaffney would come around to score on a passed ball to enlarge the lead to seven runs by the end of the frame.

Stallings delivered a ground rule double to center field to drive in a run in the seventh inning, then knocked in his second run with an eighth-inning single to complete the Spikes' scoring.

Staten Island's only other offensive burst came in the sixth inning, when Matt Snyder hit a solo home run to right-center field off of Spikes reliever Dalton Friend. Friend, however, would yield only that hit over two innings.

Yankees starter Tim Flight (0-2) took the loss after allowing State College's first five runs on five hits and three walks over 1 2/3 innings. Flight struck out two in the effort. Reliever Derek Varnadore pitched 3 1/3 perfect innings for Staten Island before the Spikes started breaking back onto the scoreboard.

Saturday, the Spikes start a three-game series against the Brooklyn Cyclones (New York Mets) with a 7:05 p.m. matchup at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. State College will send right-hander Clay Holmes (2-1) to the mound. The 19-year-old right-hander currently holds a 1.45 ERA, and opponents have batted just .164 against him this year. Brooklyn will go with right-hander Luis Mateo (3-1).

The first 1,000 fans through the gates when they open at 5:45 for season ticket holders and 6 p.m. for the general public will pick up a Jason Motte/Allen Craig Double Bobble Head Doll, presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, part of Penn State Hershey Bone & Joint Institute. Celebrate the accomplishments of these two World Series heroes, who both began their journey to the Major Leagues with the 2006 Spikes.

Kids 12 and under can also learn from the pros on Saturday at the Spikes Youth Baseball Clinic, also presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. Registration is at 10:30 a.m., and is free with a ticket to that night's game.

It's also Star Wars Night, as fans will have the chance to get up close and meet Chewbacca, Darth Vader and several other Star Wars characters. Plus, every fan is a winner on Scratch N' Win Saturday, and kids can run the bases after the game thanks to Clinical Outcomes Group, Inc.

Tickets for Saturday's game, as well as every Spikes regular season home game in 2012, are currently on sale through the Spikes Box Office by calling (814) 272-1711 or by visiting in person. Fans can also buy and print single-game tickets by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.

Catch all of the action on Saturday via the Spikes Radio Network, presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, at 6:35 p.m. with the Spikes GameDay Show live from the concourse behind home plate at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The Spikes' radio broadcast can also be heard worldwide through the "Listen Live" link on StateCollegeSpikes.com, provided by 95.3 FM 3WZ.

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New York-Penn League Stories from July 13, 2012


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