MLBDL State College Spikes

Aviles Goes Deep, Spikes Fall to Thunder in Series Finale, 13-6

July 20, 2023 - Major League Baseball Draft League (MLBDL)
State College Spikes News Release


TRENTON, N.J.-Luis Aviles smashed his team-leading third home run of the season for the State College Spikes but, despite erasing a 4-0 deficit early, the Spikes fell to the Trenton Thunder, 13-6, in the concluding game of a three-game set at Trenton Thunder Ballpark on Thursday night.

Aviles, the Tulane product who hit three home runs for the Spikes (6-5 2ndHalf) in the second half of last year's Major League Baseball Draft League season, sent a 1-0 pitch from Trenton (5-5 2ndHalf) reliever John Gilreath off the top of the left field wall in the fifth inning. The Palmetto Bay, Florida native currently leads the MLB Draft League in second-half slugging percentage with a .767 mark.

Down after allowing four runs in the second inning, the Spikes surged back starting with Peyton Harden's RBI groundout in the third. In the fourth inning, State College notched three straight singles to start the frame followed by a with a Ryan Guardino sacrifice fly to make it 4-2.

After a Jesse Fonteboa walk, Josh Leslie then capped the flurry with a bases-clearing double to give the Spikes a 5-4 lead.

However, Trenton took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth. With runners on second and third and one out, a swinging third strike from Justin Guerrera delivered by State College starter Marv Guarin (0-1 2ndHalf) went in the dirt. Instead of firing to first, Spikes catcher Aviles caught Angel Mendozain a rundown between third and home. Mendoza was ruled to have avoided his tag, though, scoring the tying run.

Anthony Fontana tripled in two more runs one batter later, and after Aviles's homer, the Thunder followed with a five-run sixth to put the game away.

Guarin took the loss in his Spikes debut after being charged with seven runs on four hits, five walks and a hit batsman over 3 1/3 innings. The right-hander from Pacific also notched six strikeouts in the effort.

Gilreath picked up the win for the Thunder with two innings of one-run relief, allowing Aviles's homer and two walks while striking out a total of four batters. David Stiehl (1) logged three scoreless innings, yielding one hit and striking out six batters, for the save.

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