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NYPL State College Spikes

State College Spikes Game Notes - July 9 vs. Connecticut

July 9, 2015 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
State College Spikes News Release


Thursday, July 9 - 7:05 p.m.

Medlar Field at Lubrano Park - University Park, PA

CONNECTICUT TIGERS - Detroit Tigers (9-9) at

STATE COLLEGE SPIKES - St. Louis Cardinals (9-9) 

Game #19 / Home Game #10

Starting Pitchers:

State College - RHP Jorge Rodriguez (1-1, 3.95)

Connecticut - RHP Spenser Watkins (1-1, 0.59)

TONIGHT (7:05 vs. Connecticut): $1 Beer Thursday presented by 93.7 THE BUS...Live Music by StressBusters Entertainment

TOMORROW NIGHT (7:05 vs. Connecticut): FIREWORKS Night and Myrtle Beach Trip Giveaway (One Lucky Fan, 18 & Over) presented by VisitMyrtleBeach.com....4 for $44 Friday Northwest Family Value Ticket Package...Post-Game Kids Run the Bases presented by Clinical Outcomes Group, Inc.

SATURDAY, JULY 11 (7:05 vs. Tri-City): Military Appreciation Night presented by Lion Country Kia & Centre Daily Times...Spikes Camouflage Hat Giveaway (First 1,000 Fans, All Ages) & Game-Used Hat Auction benefiting PSU for Local Wounded Warriors presented by Lion Country Kia...Scratch n' Win Saturday pres. by P.J. Harrigan's...Lion Country Kia Plinko...Huntingdon County Night featuring FREE Kids Zone! presented by Friends of Jake Corman

-SPIKES ON HOT STREAK HEADED INTO TONIGHT: After a 1-5 start, the State College Spikes have won eight of their last 12 and the last three in a row. Tonight, they return to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park to face the Connecticut Tigers in the middle game of a three-game series. Connecticut is the first non-Pinckney Division opponent to venture into State College this season, and this evening's game continues the first half of State College's six-game homestand. The Tri-City ValleyCats, who have been the Spikes' opponents in each of the last two NYPL Championship Series, come to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park Saturday through Monday. All-time, the Spikes are 12-15 against the Tigers, including a 6-6 record in games played at Medlar FIeld at Lubrano Park

-LAST GAME: The Spikes were stifled early, but Ian McKinney held the fort on the mound, and the Spikes surged to the lead before the rain moved in and ended the game early in a 4-0 win over the Connecticut Tigers on Wednesday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The game was called in the middle of the seventh inning after rain made the field unsuitable for play, but the Spikes had already taken the advantage. After being held hitless over the first three innings by Connecticut starter Tyler Alexander, State College broke through in the fourth. Jesse Jenner slid home safely on a wild pitch in to put the first run on the board, and the Spikes added three more runs in the fifth thanks to a Thomas Spitz double, a sacrifice fly by Mike Pritchard and the second of two Tigers errors to increase the lead to four runs. McKinney helped the Spikes hang on with six shutout innings, facing just one batter over the minimum during his first five frames. The left-hander yielded three hits and a walk while striking out four on the night.

-RODRIGUEZ GETS BALL FOR SPIKES: RIght-hander Jorge Rodriguez makes the start on the mound tonight for State College. Rodriguez took the loss last time out against West Virginia on Thursday, allowing five runs on five hits and walk walks over 3 2/3 innings. The San Cristobal, Dominican Republic native allowed just one hit through three innings in the effort, but yielded all five runs in the fourth. Rodriguez led the GCL with two complete games in 2014 and was one of only two pitchers to post a shutout (tossing 5 2/3 innings in a rain-shortened game) in that season. Rodriguez did not allow a run over his first 15 innings with the GCL Cards after pitching the 2012 and 2013 seasons for the Dominican Summer League Cardinals.

-WATKINS DRAWS MOUND ASSIGNMENT FOR TIGERS: Right-hander Spenser Watkins gets his fourth start of the year for Connecticut tonight. Watkins, the Detroit Tigers' 30th-round draft choice last year, went a season-long six innings in his last outing, allowing no runs on three hits and a walk. However, despite the effort, which included five strikeouts, the righty did not factor in the decision agains Lowell. Watkins began his 2015 season with a pair of starts at Single-A West Michigan, compiling a 4.09 ERA over 11 innings of work at the higher leve. The Scottsdale, AZ native went 3-2 with a 3.83 ERA over 10 appearances, eight of them starts, for the GCL Tigers in 2014.

-GRAYSON DELIVERING BIG NUMBERS: Casey Grayson has reached base in all 17 games he has played so far to post the longest active streak in the New York-Penn League. Grayson extended his string with a fourth-inning single last night, which was the Spikes' first hit of the game. The University of Houston product still leads the NYPL in batting average with a .400 mark, and his .478 on-base percentage also tops the league while his 13 runs batted in are tied for third

-SPIKE MARKS: Harrison Bader was promoted to Single-A Peoria on Tuesday after just eight days with the Spikes, and went 1-for-3 with a run in his Midwest League debut two nights ago...Bader also produced a hit last night...Outfielder Orlando Olivera joined the Spikes from the GCL Cardinals to replace Bader...Olivera drove in 10 runs over 10 games in the GCL this year...Dailyn Martinez has not allowed an earned run over his last 13 innings of work

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