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MLBDL State College Spikes

Ortiz, Benjamin Excel Despite Spikes' 5-3 Defeat Against Black Bears

June 14, 2024 - Major League Baseball Draft League (MLBDL)
State College Spikes News Release


GRANVILLE, W.Va. - Deniel Ortiz collected three hits and Samuel Benjamin extended his hitting streak to a Major League Baseball Draft League-best ten games, but the State College Spikes dropped a 5-3 decision to the West Virginia Black Bears on Friday night at Kendrick Family Ballpark.

Ortiz, the Walters State (Tenn.) Community College product who is the reigning MLB Draft League Player of the Week for June 4-9, laced a trio of singles to raise his batting average to .432. Benajmin remained the only player in the league to play in and collect at least one hit in all ten games this season when his double in the third inning combined with a subsequent error to plate the game's first run.

State College (5-5) scored the first two runs of the game in the third inning, with Cade Climie's RBI single bringing in Benjamin for the other tally, but West Virginia responded with five runs of their own in the bottom half.

Derek Wylie's RBI groundout in the eighth drew the Spikes within two runs, but Oklahoma's Ryan Lambert (1) shut the door on the State College rally with a perfect ninth inning for the save in his Black Bears (4-6) debut.

State College's Jacob Wilson reached base four times without the benefit of an official at-bat. Wilson walked three times and was hit by pitch while adding a stolen base.

Starter Carson Bailey (0-1) took the loss for the Spikes despite retiring the first six batters he faced, three via strikeout. West Virginia reliever Ryan Sleeper (1-0) threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings to get credit for the win.

The game was delayed 34 minutes at the outset after an early evening thunderstorm rolled through the ballpark.

Saturday, the Spikes meet the Black Bears at 7:00 p.m. for the middle game of their three-game series at Kendrick Family Ballpark. Right-hander Ben Harris (1-0) gets the ball for State College after going five innings, the most for any Spikes pitcher in a single outing this season, in his first start of the summer last Saturday against West Virginia.

After completing their road trip with a 1:00 p.m. game in West Virginia on Sunday, the Spikes come back home on Tuesday, June 18 for a two-game mini-series at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park against the Williamsport Crosscutters. Fans can enjoy the return of Walking Taco Tuesday presented by Bigfoot Country Legends on the 18th, with half-price Walking Tacos available at the relocated Salsa stand, now available next to the Kids Zone on the third-base side of the concourse.

Wednesday the 19th is the debut of the new Glizzy and Wine Wednesday presented by Seven Mountains Wine Cellars and WOWY Radio, with half-price Country Store Brand hot dogs available all game long throughout the ballpark and half-price servings of wine available from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

For tickets to those two games, as well as every remaining home game on the Spikes' 2024 schedule at the new-look Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, fans can call 814-272-1711 or by visiting the Spikes Ticket Office from 10 a.m. until the end of the game on Sunday.

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

Catch all of the action of the Spikes' game on Saturday 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 Kendrick Family Ballpark starting at approximately 6:45 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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