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NYPL State College Spikes

Benedict and Bats Drive Spikes' 7-2 Victory

September 3, 2011 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
State College Spikes News Release


WILLIAMSPORT, PA - Matt Benedict ended his 2011 season on a high note, delivering five strong innings on the mound, and Dan Gamache drove in three runs while Alex Dickerson produced three hits to help the State College Spikes down the Williamsport Crosscutters, 7-2, on Saturday night at Historic Bowman Field.

Benedict (5-3), making his league-leading 15th and final start of 2011, allowed two runs, but just one of them earned, on four hits and two walks over his five frames. The right-hander added three strikeouts in the effort, and concluded a stretch of five starts in which he has gone 3-0 with a 0.72 earned run average. Benedict, the Pirates' 30th-round draft choice in 2011 out of Western Carolina, allowed just two earned runs over his final 25 innings on the mound this season.

State College (31-43) had to come back from an early deficit, as Williamsport's (42-33) Pete Lavin led off the bottom of the first inning with a double and scored on Maikel Franco's fielder's choice to make it 1-0. The Spikes took a lead they would not relinquish, though, when Jose Osuna doubled in Junior Sosa and Dickerson brought Osuna in with the first of his hits for two runs in the third inning.

Ashley Ponce's RBI single in the fourth scored Taylor Lewis to make it 3-1, State College. Williamsport then scored its final run in the bottom half of the same frame when Bob Stumpo scored on an error, edging the Crosscutters to within a run.

The Spikes would strike for another run in the fifth inning, however, as Gamache notched his first RBI by enabling Osuna to score on a fielder's choice and extended the lead to two runs. Gamache then launched his biggest hit of the night, tripling to left field to plate a pair of runs in the seventh. Gregory Polanco brought Gamache home with a single later in the inning to cap the scoring.

Dickerson's three hits, all singles, marked the fourth time in his pro career that the Pirates' 2011 third-round draft pick collected a trio of hits in a game. Osuna produced two hits for the Spikes in his debut with the club, while Matt Skirving added two hits as well.

Kevin Kleis, Diomedes Mateo, and Emmanuel De Leon finished the game for State College by combining to retire the final 12 straight Crosscuters batters in order.

Williamsport starter Colin Kleven (4-6) took the loss, yielding four runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out three over five innings.

The Spikes also officially knocked the Crosscutters out of the playoffs in the season's final weekend for the second straight year.

Sunday, the Spikes and Crosscutters meet for the final time in 2011 at Historic Bowman Field in the season finale for both teams, with a special 1:05 p.m. first pitch. State College will send right-hander Ryan Hafner (2-6) to the mound. Hafner's 3.21 ERA ranks second among Spikes starters this season, and the right-hander will look to end his 2011 season with a win. Williamsport will go with left-hander Adam Morgan (3-3) on the hill.

Fans still have the opportunity to lock in all of the benefits of being a Spikes' Season Ticket holder by purchasing their 2012 Season Ticket packages now. Spikes Season Ticket packages come with membership into the exclusive Extra Innings Club, as well as provide a wide variety of additional benefits through a personal front office ticket representative. To purchase 2012 Season Tickets, contact a Spikes ticket representative at (814) 272-1711.

Catch all of the action on Sunday via the Spikes Radio Network at 12:50 p.m. with the Spikes GameDay Show live from Historic Bowman Field. 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 September 3, 2011


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