NYPL State College Spikes

State College Spikes Game Notes - July 28 at Mahoning Valley

July 28, 2014 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
State College Spikes News Release


Monday, July 28 - 7:05 p.m.

Eastwood Field - Niles, OH

STATE COLLEGE SPIKES - St. Louis Cardinals (30-13) at

MAHONING VALLEY SCRAPPERS - Cleveland Indians (18-25)

Game #44 / Road Game #21

Starting Pitchers:

State College - RHP Trey Nielsen (3-1, 1.75)

Mahoning Valley - LHP Sean Brady (2-1, 2.21)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30 (7:05 vs. Aberdeen): Half-Price Wednesday presented by BIG Froggy 101...Acoustic Night with Sgt. Bob

THURSDAY, JULY 31 (7:05 vs. Aberdeen): $1 Beer Night presesented by 93.7 THE BUS...Halloweeen Night

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1 (7:05 vs. Aberdeen): FIREWORKS Night presented by Vision Creative Solutions...Star Wars Characters Appearance...4 for $44 Friday presented by TGI Fridays and MAJIC 99...Geisinger Careworks Kids FREE Friday...Penns Valley Community Night featuring FREE Kids Zone presented by Senator Jake Corman...Kids Run the Bases presented by Clinical Outcomes Group, Inc....Grange Fair Night...Scout Night

-SPIKES IN MIDST OF THREE-GAME ROAD TRIP TONIGHT: The State College Spikes have increased their lead over Williamsport in the New York-Penn League Pinckney Division to nine games, and are tied for the NYPL's best record. Tonight, the Spikes continue a three-game series on the road against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers at Eastwood Field. The Spikes split a two-game mini-series against the Scrappers this past Tuesday and Wednesday at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Mahoning Valley is four games out of the NYPL Wild Card lead, one of eight teams within that margin of Wild Card leader Staten Island. State College is 40-43 all-time against the Scrappers, and 15-27 in games played at Eastwood Field.

-LAST GAME: Nick Thompson, Collin Radack and Chase Raffield all delivered home runs for the State College Spikes, and the homer barrage helped the Spikes to an 8-5 win over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers on Sunday night at Eastwood Field.

Radack collected three hits for the Spikes, who reached the 30-win mark on the earliest date in franchise history. The Hendrix College product went deep with a two-run shot to left-center field in the seventh inning for the second State College homer on the night.

Thompson started the Spikes' home run party with a two-run homer to left-center of his own in the sixth to break a 1-1 tie. The Cardinals' 2014 eighth-round draft choice now has 24 runs batted in on the season, the most for any player still with the Spikes. Raffield then smashed his first professional home run to right-center field in the eighth inning, a two-run shot that increased the State College lead to 7-1. The Georgia State product now has six RBI over the last three games.

Brandon Lee, who joined the Spikes yesterday, picked up the win in relief in his first appearance for State College. Lee allowed a run on two hits over three innings of work, and notched one strikeout in the victory.

-NIELSEN GETS THE BALL FOR SPIKES: Right-hander Trey Nielsen makes his third start, and tenth overall appearance, for State College tonight. Nielsen looks to rebound after taking his first loss of the season last time out against Mahoning Valley. The University of Utah product gave up two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out four over four innings of work this past Tuesday. Nielsen is limiting hitters to a .169 average in his first professional season, and holds a 1.10 ERA on the road this year. The righty was selected by the Cardinals in the 30th round of the 2013 MLB Draft.

-BRADY FACES SPIKES AGAIN FOR SCRAPPERS: Left-hander Sean Brady makes his second straight start against State College this evening as he gets the ball for Mahoning Valley. Brady is making his team-leading ninth start of the year, and has gone six innings in two of his last four outings. The Indians' fifth-round draft choice in 2013, Brady went five shutout innings against the Spikes on Wednesday, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out three. The Cape Coral, FL native was selected out of Ida Baker High School last year, and went 0-1 with a 1.97 ERA in 10 starts for the Arizona League Indians last year.

-WICK PROMOTED TO PEORIA : The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Wednesday that Rowan Wick, the Spikes' single-season home run record holder, earned promotion to the Single-A Peoria Chiefs. Wick made an impact right away, drilling a three-run homer in the ninth on Thursday that helped propel the Chiefs to a five-run frame that sent the game to extra innings. The slugger took just 19 games to break the previous Spikes single-season home run record of 10, set by David Washington just last year. The Cardinals' 2012 ninth-round draft choice currently leads the New York-Penn League with 14 homers, and also tops the league in runs batted in with 38.

-SPIKE MARKS: Left-hander Ian McKinney returned to the Spikes today after starting his year with State College...McKinney went 2-0 with a 1.26 ERA over six starts, and won Appalachian League Pitcher of the Week honors for June 16-22 and June 30-July 6...Alex De Leon is leading the NYPL in runs scored with 32, two more than former teammate Wick...Brian O'Keefe is tied for the league lead in times hit by pitch with nine...Kyle Grana's 13.86 strikeouts per nine innings are second-most among NYPL relievers...Robelys Reyes has struck out once per 16.63 at-bats, the least frequent rate in the NYPL...Nick Lomascolo is tied for third in the league in holds with four...The Spikes lead the NYPL with 39 home runs as a team

Check out the State College Spikes Statistics



New York-Penn League Stories from July 28, 2014


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