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MLBDL State College Spikes

Baal Homers on First Spikes Swing, Scrappers Take Second-Half Opener

July 18, 2024 - Major League Baseball Draft League (MLBDL)
State College Spikes News Release


NILES, Ohio - Austin Baal's very first swing for the State College Spikes put the baseball into the Mahoning Valley Scrappers bullpen, but the Scrappers used the big inning to down the Spikes, 16-8, on Thursday night at Eastwood Field in the opener of the MLB Draft League's second half for both teams.

Baal, a Shippensburg (Pa.) product from Palmyra, Pa., took a strike and a ball before launching a 361-foot solo shot over the short four-foot-high wall in right field in the second to put State College (0-1 2nd Half) on the board. The first baseman added two doubles, knocking in two more runs with his two-base hit in the ninth.

Mahoning Valley (1-0 2nd Half) broke open a 2-2 tie in the fifth with Zach Ketterman's single and Drey Dirksen's sacrifice fly before Kota Suzuki hit a grand slam to right-center field in the sixth. The Scrappers then scored four runs apiece in the seventh and eighth to seal the decision.

However, the Spikes scored five runs in the ninth to build momentum moving forward. T.J. Pound delivered a two-run single while Caleb Hill also knocked in a run to keep the late surge going.

Spikes reliever Peter Ostensen (0-1) took the loss after allowing six runs, five of them earned and four on Suzuki's slam, over 2 2/3 innings. Mahoning Valley reliever A.J. Riddle (1-0) picked up the win with three scoreless innings of one-hit ball.

Former Penn State infielder Grant Norris posted a 2-for-3 night at the plate with an RBI and a run scored in his Spikes debut.

The game was played in front of an Eastwood Field record crowd of 7,869 fans.

Friday, the Spikes and Scrappers meet for the second game of their four-game set to open the MLB Draft League's second half at Eastwood Field. Pitching matchups for the 7:05 p.m. game have not yet been set.

While the Spikes are away, fans can still enjoy plenty of fun at Medlar FIeld at Lubrano Park with their first-ever Movie Night this Saturday, July 20. Fans are invited to the ballpark for a special presentation of "Barbie" on the huge, brand-new ballpark videoboard with FREE admission.

The videoboard, a centerpiece of the upgrades at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, features 2,739 square feet of eye-popping high definition, and fans will be delighted to see the hugely popular film in the unique ballpark atmosphere with refreshments available for at various ballpark concessions stands. Ballpark gates open at 7 p.m., and showtime is at 8 p.m.

All parking for Movie Night is available in the Porter North lot. Parking for Movie Night will follow Penn State on-campus parking policies, with parking available for purchase on the ParkMobile app or at the kiosk in the Porter North lot for $1/hour.

The Spikes home schedule resumes on Tuesday, July 23 with a 6:35 p.m. matchup against the Frederick Keys on a Walking Taco Tuesday presented by Bigfoot Country Legends, featuring half-price Walking Tacos at the Salsa concession stand all game long, plus half-price Miller Lite and Coors Light from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

To purchase tickets to every remaining home game on the Spikes' 2024 schedule at the new-look Medlar Field at Lubrano Park through September 3, fans can call 814-272-1711 or by visiting the Spikes Ticket Office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with hours during home game days of 9 a.m. to the end of the game Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to the end of the game on Saturday and Sunday.

Fans can also buy and download single-game tickets 24/7, and view the 2024 promotional schedule, by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.

Catch all of the action of the Spikes' game on Friday via the Spikes Radio Network presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, Official Healthcare Provider of Penn State Athletics with Joe Putnam on the call. The broadcast starts with Spikes Live! presented by Mount Nittany Health on the air from Eastwood Field at approximately 6:50 p.m.

The game can be viewed worldwide on the MLB Draft League streaming platform powered by Pixellot at MLB.watch.pixellot.tv and the Watch section of the MLB app by scrolling the Watch Now tab, along with the "Listen Live" link on StateCollegeSpikes.com and the TuneIn Radio app.

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Major League Baseball Draft League Stories from July 18, 2024


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