NYPL State College Spikes

Kelly Smashes First NYPL Homer, But Spikes Fall to Auburn, 6-4

Published on June 22, 2013 under New York-Penn League (NYPL)
State College Spikes News Release


AUBURN, NY - Carson Kelly launched a three-run homer off of the scoreboard in left-center field, his first with the State College Spikes, but the Auburn Doubledays came from behind to deny the Spikes a three-game sweep by taking a 6-4 decision on Saturday night at Falcon Park.

Kelly, the second-round draft choice of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012, took a 1-0 pitch from left-hander Kylin Turnbull (2-0) and swatted it to the center of the board 26 feet above the ground in the fourth inning. The homer was Kelly's first in the New York-Penn League after he hit two dingers for Single-A Peoria earlier this year.

State College (4-2) took a 4-0 lead with the blast, but Auburn (3-3) would chip away at the edge over the next four frames.The Doubledays began their comeback in the fourth by notching three straight singles off of Spikes starter Andrew Pierce, who was making his professional debut, to hasten his departure from the game. Reliever Victor DeLeon (0-1) then forced a double play to score one run, with Greg Zebrack driving in another with an RBI single one batter later to cut the margin to 4-2.

In the fifth inning, Jordan Poole went deep to right field off of DeLeon with a solo home run to make it 4-3, Spikes. Auburn then took the lead in the sixth as Cody Gunter delivered a one-out double and scored on Zebrack's second RBI single to tie the game, with Poole doubling in the go-ahead run. Wilmer Difo tripled and scored on a passed ball in the seventh inning to provide the insurance run for the Doubledays.

Turnbull and the Auburn relief corps held the Spikes were held to just one hit outside of the fifth inning a night after State College rapped a team record-tying 20 hits. The Spikes also left just one runner on base in the game after stranding 15 runners, a team record for a nine-inning game, on Friday night.

Steven Ramos was the lone State College player with multiple hits, including a bunt single that broke up Turnbull's perfect game in the fourth inning. Ronald Castillo drove in the other Spikes run with a single that came one batter before Kelly went deep for State College.

DeLeon took the loss after yielding three runs on six hits over three innings of work. Pierce struck out three batters and was charged with two runs on six hits in his three-plus innings of work.

Turnbull retired the first nine Spikes batters he faced in the game, and the southpaw struck out six batters over the course of his six innings on the mound in the victory. Sidearmer L.J. Hollins (1) got the save with a perfect ninth inning to nail down the win for Auburn.

The loss snaps a four-game losing streak for State College, and dashed the Spikes' hopes of sweeping the Doubledays in a three-game set for the first time in club history.

Sunday, the Spikes return home to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park for a 6:05 p.m. matchup against the Jamestown Jammers (Pittsburgh Pirates), who were tied for the Pinckney Division lead with State College headed into Saturday's games. The opening game of a three-game series will bring some familiar faces back to Central PA as 2012 Spikes manager Dave Turgeon, 2009 and 2010 Spikes pitching coach Mike Steele, and eight members of the 2012 Spikes all come back to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park in Jammers uniforms.

State College will give the ball to Opening Night starter Juan Bautista (0-1). The righty will be opposed by another right-hander in Jamestown's Colten Brewer (1-0).

It will be a Family Fireworks Funday at the park as First National Bank presented a fantastic post-game FIREWORKS show. The Spikes will also be helping make miracles happen on Children's Miracle Network Night, with special bats autographed by the Spikes up for bids in a Children's Miracle Network Bat Auction throughout the night.

Prior to the game, fans get to know the Spikes up close and personal at the free team autograph session, then play catch on the field from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. After the game, kids can run the bases after the game thanks to Clinical Outcomes Group, Inc.

Tickets for Sunday's game, as well as every Spikes home game on the 2013 slate, are currently on sale through the Spikes Box Office by calling (814) 272-1711 or by visiting in person. Fans can also buy and print single-game tickets by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.

Catch all of the action on Sunday via the Spikes Radio Network, presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, at 5:35 p.m. with Spikes Live, presented by Mount Nittany Health, on the air from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. 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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