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NYPL State College Spikes

Spikes' Pitchers Slam the Door in 3-0 Win over Scrappers

August 31, 2015 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
State College Spikes News Release


NILES, OH - Jorge Rodriguez and Steven De La Cruz combined on a six-hit shutout as the State College Spikes made up significant ground in the New York-Penn League Wild Card race with a 3-0 win over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers on Monday night at Eastwood Field.

The Spikes' (36-33) win, combined with West Virginia's loss, ties them with the Black Bears for second place in the NYPL Wild Card standings. Both teams are now a half-game back of McNamara Divison co-leaders Staten Island and Hudson Valley. State College holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over both West Virginia and Hudson Valley.

Rodriguez (4-4) allowed just five hits and two walks over 6 2/3 innings, and retired 10 straight batters before allowing a base on balls with two outs in the seventh. The right-hander also struck out five, and reduced his road ERA to 1.36 in the victory.

De La Cruz (1) struck out four batters and gave up just one hit and one hit batsman over 2 1/3 innings to earn the save.

State College took the lead in the second as Casey Grayson walked and Orlando Olivera moved him to third with a single. Grayson then crossed the plate on Jose Godoy's RBI groundout, and Olivera followed him home on Cole Lankford's run-scoring single.

The Spikes added an insurance run in the fifth when Ronnierd Garcia walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on Thomas Spitz's sacrifice fly.

Grayson then provided the Spikes' third and final hit with a triple in the ninth inning, his second of the year.

Mahoning Valley (30-38) starter Kieran Lovegrove (1-7) took the loss after allowing all three runs on two hits and three walks over five innings. Lovegrove recorded three strikeouts in the effort.

The Spikes will finish up their four-game series against the Scrappers on Tuesday night in a 7:05 p.m. matchup at Eastwood Field. Dailyn Martinez (3-5), who pitched seven shutout innings in his last visit to Mahoning Valley on June 26, gets the ball for State College. The Scrappers will go with right-hander Micah Miniard, who is making his first appearance with the club after being called up from the Arizona League Indians.

The Spikes will return home to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on Wednesday, September 2 for the final homestand of the regular season. The five-game stretch will include games against the Batavia Muckdogs (Miami Marlins) and Williamsport Crosscutters (Philadelphia Phillies). Fans will enjoy two FIREWORKS shows, THON Night, $1 Beer Thursday presented by93.7 THE BUS, Daddy-Daughter Date Night, and a trio of HD Weekend giveaways presented by Aaron's among other highlights.

The fun of the final week of the regular season begins with a Half-Price Wednesday, presented by BIG Froggy 101, as the Spikes face Batavia at 7:05 p.m. Fans can get into the ballpark with half-price Outfield Bleacher seats for just $3 apiece, then enjoy half-price 16-oz. select domestic draft beers from 6-8 p.m. and half-price medium sodas all game long.

In addition, college students across Central PA can enjoy even more value during every remaining Spikes home game with the College 3-2-1 Special. The College 3-2-1 Special offers any college student presenting a valid student ID at ticket and concessions windows $3 Outfield Bleacher seats or $3 off seat in any other ballpark section, excluding Pepsi Picnic Pavilion and suites, plus $2 medium sodas and $1 hot dogs all game long.

Tickets for the final five dates remaining on the Spikes' 10th Season home schedule 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.

Fans can also purchase Four-Game Playoff Packs in anticipation of potential Spikes home games during the New York-Penn League playoffs, which begin on Wednesday, September 9. Playoff Packs start as low as $16 per seat and include as much as a $4 per game savings off the single-game price. In addition, each seat purchased as part of a Playoff Pack will come with a free, limited-edition 2015 Spikes playoff T-shirt while supplies last. For more information, and to order a Playoff Pack, call the Spikes Box Office at (814) 272-1711.

Catch all of the action on Tuesday via the Spikes Radio Network, presented by Penn State Hershey Medical Group, at 6:50 p.m. with Spikes Live, presented by Mount Nittany Health, on the air from Eastwood Field. The Spikes' radio broadcast can also be heard worldwide through the "Listen Live" link on StateCollegeSpikes.com, provided by the club's flagship radio home, 95.3 FM 3WZ, and on the 3WZ mobile apps, available on Google Play and the App Store.

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