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NYPL State College Spikes

Spikes Hang On, 3-2

July 29, 2007 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
State College Spikes News Release


UNIVERSITY PARK -- The State College Spikes took the rubber game of a three-game set on Sunday evening thanks to a 3-2 victory over the Auburn Doubledays. Austin McClune lead the Spikes both with the bat and in the field, as he went 3-for-3 and also had three outfield assists, two of which gunned down runners trying to score. Dionis Rodriguez (2-1) got the win for the Spikes after tossing three solid innings, allowing only one run on five hits in relief of starter Jake Cuffman. The win moved the Spikes within 2.5 games of Auburn for first place in the Pinckney Division.

After matching zeroes through the first four innings, the Doubledays broke the scoreless tie in an unconventional way in the top of the fifth. The rally started innocently enough, as Darin Mastroianni singled with one out and later stole second base. Mastroianni was then in the process of stealing third base when Kelly Sweppenheiser grounded out to shortstop, but Darin never slowed down and managed to score from second, on a ball that never left the infield, to give Auburn the 1-0 advantage.

The Doubledays lead would be short lived, however as the Spikes jumped ahead in the bottom of the sixth. Justin Byler got the rally started with a lined single to left and moved to third on a ground-rule double off the bat of Miles Durham. Matt Cavagnaro, who came into the at-bat eight for his last 64, doubled of the wall in right field to drive home two and give the Spikes a 2-1 lead. The rally continued as Marcus Davis plated Cavagnaro with an RBI single of his own to give to push the Spikes edge to 3-1.

That is how the score would stay until the top of the eighth when Auburn clawed their way back into the game and once again it was an unusual turn of events that lead to the Doubledays run. Spikes reliever Mike Felix surrendered a one out walk but it looked the inning would come to an end when Victor Santana struck out swinging, but the third strike eluded catcher Nick Stillwagon and allowed Santana to reach on the wild pitch. Adam Simon was then summoned from the bullpen and C.J Ebarb promptly laced a single to left field bringing home one run, but Santana was thrown out at home for the third out and the Spikes kept the lead at 3-2. The putout was the third Doubledays runner thrown out on the basepaths, with all three outfield assists coming from McClune.

In the ninth the Doubledays threatened once again, putting the tying run on second base, but Ronald Uviedo got the final two outs of the game to pick up his ninth save of the season.

The Spikes will head on the road for six games before returning to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on Sunday, August 5th to take on the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. State College will begin their road trip against those same Scrappers tomorrow evening at 7:05 p.m. LHP Tony Watson (6-0) will take the mound for the Spikes.

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New York-Penn League Stories from July 29, 2007


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