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MLBDL State College Spikes

Penn Stater Spiegel Sparks Spikes' Late Rally to Defeat Keys, 8-7

July 24, 2024 - Major League Baseball Draft League (MLBDL)
State College Spikes News Release


UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Josh Spiegel called Medlar Field at Lubrano Park home for three years while playing baseball at Penn State, and he came up huge with a game-tying homer in the bottom of the eighth before Austin Baal's go-ahead double gave the State College Spikes an 8-7 win over the Frederick Keys.

Spiegel, who produced 17 homers and 90 runs batted in from 2021-23 in Happy Valley, swung at the first pitch he saw from Frederick (2-4 2nd Half) reliever Ga'Von Wray (0-1) and sent it 364 feet the opposite way for a solo shot to right-center field. The Greensburg, Pa. native also threw out two would-be base-stealers in the top of the eighth inning to set the table for the Spikes' (3-3 2nd Half) comeback.

Two batters after Spiegel's homer, Parker Coddou lined one back through the box off Wray for his third hit of the game. Coddou then came in to score what would prove to be the winning run one batter later as Baal lofted a ball just inside the left-field line for his fourth double and fifth extra-base hit of the year.

The Spikes took a 4-0 lead in the second inning as Spiegel and Austin Roccaforte each singled in a run and Coddou knocked in two with his first hit of the night. Frederick responded with a five-run fourth inning, adding two more to it in the sixth before Coddou tripled in a run and Baal drove in another with a groundout in the same frame.

Reliever Jacob Peaden (1-0) picked up the win with two scoreless innings in which he allowed one hit and one walk while striking out one batter. David Lee (1), another former Penn Stater who recorded three saves in 23 appearances for the Nittany Lions this spring, yielded just one walk in a scoreless ninth inning for the save. Wray took the loss for the Keys.

Thursday, the Spikes and Keys will make an early return to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park as they finish their three-game set with a 12:05 p.m. day game. State College will seek a sweep over the Keys with Virginia Tech left-hander Jeremy Neff (0-0) on the hill. Neff threw six innings of one-run ball in a no-decision against Mahoning Valley in his first Spikes start this past Saturday.

Frederick is set to tap right-hander Harold Baez (0-0) for his second start on the mound.

It's Super Splash Day, where the ballpark goes wet and wild as the Kids Zone in left field turns into the Splash Zone, featuring a dunk tank and Undine Fire Company fire truck, and fans get to enjoy lunchtime at the ballpark with $1 Beer Day at Thirsty Thursday presented by The BUS. $1 12-oz. select beers and $2 12-oz. craft beers will be available from 11:00 to 1:00.

Plus, after the game, the field opens up for Kids Run the Bases presented by Mount Nittany Health.

Later this week, the Spikes welcome fans to help the fight against breast cancer with the annual Paint the Park Pink game presented by Mount Nittany Health featuring FIREWORKS and the Pink Jersey-off-the-Back Auction benefiting the Mount Nittany Health Foundation, along with Scout Night and Penns Valley Community Night, on Saturday.

To purchase tickets to those games and 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 Thursday via the Spikes Radio Network presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, Official Healthcare Provider of Penn State Athletics with Steve Jones and Joe Putnam on the call. The broadcast starts with Spikes Live! presented by Mount Nittany Health on the air from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park at approximately 11:35 a.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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