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State College Spikes

Spikes Top Black Bears, 13-11, in Wild 10-Inning Contest

August 30, 2017 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
State College Spikes News Release


GRANVILLE, WV - The State College Spikes, who saw an 8-0 lead fall by the wayside, bounced back to force extra innings and took advantage of an error in the 10th to defeat the West Virginia Black Bears, 13-11, on Tuesday night at Monongalia County Ballpark and improve their playoff positioning.

State College (36-31) gained a game on Mahoning Valley with the Scrappers' loss at Batavia on Tuesday, and took sole possession of second place in the New York-Penn League Pinckney Division. The Spikes are now 3 1/2 games behind Mahoning Valley with nine games remaining in the 2017 regular season.

In addition, with Hudson Valley splitting a doubleheader against Tri-City, the Spikes are now three games out of the league's lone Wild Card berth.

J.D. Crowe forced extra innings with a two-out single in the eighth, and in the 10th, with runners on first and second, his single to left was overrun by West Virginia (35-32) left fielder Sandy Santos, allowing the winning runs to score.

The Spikes built their initial lead over the first four innings, with Scott Hurst's RBI double and Zach Kirtley's RBI single pacing a three-run first. After Yariel Gonzalez's run-scoring groundout in the second increased the lead, State College put together a four-run fourth. Gonzalez knocked in the first run with a single, followed by consecutive RBI singles for Wood Myers, Kirtley and Ricardo Bautista.

West Virginia was able to take advantage of a pair of bases-loaded walks to score three runs in the fourth, though. After Gonzalez produced his 37th RBI of the year with a fifth-inning single, the Black Bears then plated four runs on the sixth to get within a pair. Jose Barraza's double and Sandy Santos's two-run homer to left-center, his third of the year and second against the Spikes, were they key hits of the frame.

A State College error in the seventh then drew the Black Bears within one run, and with the bases loaded and two outs, Tristan Gray cleared the bases with a double to provide West Virginia their first lead at 11-9.

The Spikes would respond immediately, however, with Josh Lopez's solo homer to right-center field, his fifth of the year, to begin the eighth, followed by Crowe's game-tying single.

The Spikes produced 17 hits on the night, with Myers and Edwin Figuera contributing three apiece.

Neither team's starting pitcher went longer than 3 2/3 innings. West Virginia's Sergio Cubilete was knocked out of the box after the first, while State College's Paul Balestrieri pitched 3 1/3 no-hit innings before running into trouble in the fourth.

Spikes reliever Will Latcham (3-1) earned the win with 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Latcham yielded two hits and a walk while striking out two batters. Jesus Cruz (1) then recorded one strikeout in a perfect tenth inning for his first State College save in as many chances.

Matt Seelinger (0-1) took his first relief loss as a professional after allowing four runs, three of them earned, on five hits and a walk over three innings of work. Seelinger, who was making his first appearance of longer than two innings, gave up his first homer as a pro with Lopez's eighth-inning blast. The righty struck out three batters in the effort.

The loss was the Black Bears' sixth in a row, and their ninth in the last 11 games.

State College will look to gain even more ground in the NYPL postseason races on Wednesday when they complete their three-game series in West Virginia with a 7:05 p.m. matchup at Monongalia County Ballpark.

NYPL All-Star left-hander Andrew Summerville (4-0), just named the league's Pitcher of the Week on Monday, gets the ball for the Spikes. Left-hander Ike Schlabach (5-4) will head to the mound for the Black Bears.

State College will follow the series against West Virginia by facing the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Cleveland Indians) in a three-game set that begins on Thursday to complete the road swing. The Spikes will then come home on Sunday, September 3 to start the last homestand of the regular season.

The five-game run at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park from September 3-7 includes LuCKy's KIA Giveaway with one "LuCKy" fan guaranteed to drive away a winner with a KIA from Lion Country Kia, plus a pair of FIREWORKS shows, Fan Appreciation Night also presented by Lion Country Kia, Bark in the Park on "Lab-or Day," THON Night and a Jesse James Bobblehead Giveaway presented by The Nittany Lion Inn and The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.

Tickets for each of the five games in the Spikes' final regular season homestand of the year are currently on sale through the Spikes Ticket Office by calling (814) 272-1711 or by visiting in person. Fans can also buy and download single-game tickets by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.

Catch all of the action on Wednesday via the Spikes Radio Network, presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, Official Healthcare Provider of Penn State Athletics, at 6:50 p.m. with Spikes Live, presented by Mount Nittany Health, on the air from Monongalia County Ballpark. The Spikes' radio broadcast can also be heard worldwide through the "Listen Live" link on StateCollegeSpikes.com, provided by the club's flagship radio home, Newsradio 1390 WRSC, as well as the TuneIn Radio app.

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