Spikes Hang Tough to Top Scrappers, 9-6
July 9, 2023 - Major League Baseball Draft League (MLBDL)
State College Spikes News Release
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -Marques Paige smashed a two-run homer for his 11thlong ball in a State College Spikes uniform and Josh Leslie put the Spikes ahead for good with his bases-loaded single in the eighth to power a 9-6 win over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers on Sunday evening at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Paige, who hit six home runs in 2021 and four more in 2022, sent a 1-0 pitch from Mahoning Valley (1-2 2ndHalf) starter Trae Robertson, a former teammate of his on the 2021 squad, over the right-field wall just to the left of the outfield bleachers for a two-run shot to increase the Spikes' (2-1 2ndHalf) lead to 4-0.
State College had to persevere after a five-run Mahoning Valley second put them behind but got a boost in the fourth inning after Kelvin Smith singled for his first Spikes hit and moved to second on a passed ball. Payton Harden then singled Smith over to third before Leslie delivered a sacrifice fly to right field to tie the game.
The teams then traded runs as Paige and Braedon Blackford collected back-to-back doubles to give the Spikes the lead in the fifth, followed by Kirkland Banks's RBI groundout to allow the Scrappers to tie the game back up at 6-6.
In the eighth, Jesse Fonteboa was hit by a pitch and Carlos Contreras drew a pinch-hit walk to start the frame. Harden then laid down a perfect bunt to third base for his third hit of the game, setting the table for Leslie to guide a liner down the left-field link to plate two runs. Ryan Guardino then plated the last Spikes run with a sacrifice fly of his own.
Harden also stole his sixth base in as many attempts for the Spikes and notched a double.
Reliever Derrick Cherry (1-0 2ndHalf) picked up the win with two scoreless innings in which he yielded just one hit while striking out four batters. Ty Pohlmann (1) shut down the Scrappers with a 1-2-3 ninth in which he recorded two strikeouts for the save.
Adam Wibert (0-1 2ndHalf) took the loss in his Scrappers debut, allowing a total of three runs over two innings while striking out two batters.
Robertson, who pitched for the Spikes in 2021 and 2022 before being assigned to Mahoning Valley for the second half of this MLB Draft League season, struck out eight batters over five innings of work.
Major League Baseball Draft League Stories from July 9, 2023
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