MLBDL State College Spikes

Church Collects at the Plate, Spikes Fall to Scrapperslate, 10-8

Published on June 18, 2021 under Major League Baseball Draft League (MLBDL)
State College Spikes News Release


NILES, Ohio - Nathan Church smashed his first Major League Baseball Draft League home run, and added a double, but the Mahoning Valley Scrappers came up with a late comeback to top the State College Spikes, 10-8, on Thursday night at Eastwood Field.

Church, who joined the club at the start of the week from UC-Irvine, sent a 1-0 pitch from Mahoning Valley (13-7) reliever Aaron Eden 405 feet over the right-center field wall for a three-run shot in the fourth. The Spikes (8-12) outfielder's dinger increased the lead at that point to 7-3, capping off a four-run frame.

State College jumped on the board with three runs in the first, as Church's double was followed by a Hylan Hall sacrifice fly and back-to-back RBI doubles for Matthew Ellis and Lukas Cook. Mahoning Valley score one run in the second and two in the third to knot the game before the Spikes' surge in the fourth.

However, the Scrappers responded with three runs of their own in the fourth, led by Dan Harwood's two-run single, and four runs in the eighth capped by Sam Crail's two-run double to take the clinching win of a three-game set between the two teams.

Marques Paige delivered for the Spikes in their last at-bat once again with a run-scoring single, but it was not quite enough.

Hall stole two of the five bases that State College grabbed in the night. Curtis Washington Jr. also stole a base while notching two hits, including a double, one night after tying a Spikes record with four walks in a game.

Spikes reliever Josh Culliver (0-1) took the loss after being charged with four runs, three of them earned, on one hit and three walks over one-third of an inning in the eighth.

Jacob DeLabio (1-0) picked up the win with two innings of one-run relief to close the game. DeLabio yielded three hits and a hit batsman while striking out two batters in the effort.

State College will now take on the Williamsport Crosscutters at Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field on Friday and Saturday before returning home on Father's Day for a matchup against the Crosscutters. Friday's game will feature right-hander Richie Holetz (1-0), who earned his first win as a Spike on Tuesday, against an as yet undetermined Williamsport starter.

Sunday's Father's Day at the Ballpark matchup at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park will start at 4:05 p.m., with gates open to the public at 3 p.m. Fans can bring Dad out for a great time and enjoy the fun themselves with the Spikes Father's Day Gift Pack. The Gift Pack includes 4 Diamond Club or Field Box seats, 4 hot dogs, 4 regular sodas, an authentic Spikes Hat, and a $10 Spikes Gift Card, all for just $85. Plus, fans can enjoy a Post-Game Kids and Dads Run the Bases Home Run Edition.

For more information, and to purchase the Father's Day Gift Pack, call the Spikes Ticket Office at 814-272-1711, or buy online at StateCollegeSpikes.com.

It's also another Sunday Funday at the ballpark, presented by Bigfoot Country Legends, with $3 ice cream sundaes all game long and $3 16 oz. hard seltzers from 3-5 p.m.

Tickets for Sunday's game, as well as every game remaining on the 2021 home schedule, are currently on sale through the Spikes Ticket Office. Tickets can be purchased by calling (814) 272-1711 or by visiting the Ticket Office in person from 9 a.m. to the end of the game on gamedays Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to the end of the game on gamedays Saturday and Sunday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on non-gamedays Monday through Friday.

Fans can also buy and download single-game tickets by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.

Catch all of the action Sunday via the Spikes Radio Network, presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, Official Healthcare Provider of Penn State Athletics, starting with Spikes Live, presented by Mount Nittany Health, on the air from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The game can be viewed worldwide on the MLB Draft League streaming platform at MLBDraftLeague.com/streaming, along with the "Listen Live" link on StateCollegeSpikes.com and the TuneIn Radio app.

Check out the State College Spikes Statistics

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Major League Baseball Draft League Stories from June 18, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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