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NYPL State College Spikes

State College Spikes Game Notes - June 25 at Mahoning Valley

June 25, 2015 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
State College Spikes News Release


Thursday, June 25 - 7:05 p.m.

Eastwood Field - Niles, OH

STATE COLLEGE SPIKES - St. Louis Cardinals (1-5) at

MAHONING VALLEY SCRAPPERS - Cleveland Indians (3-3)

Game #7 / Road Game #2

Starting Pitchers:

State College - RHP Jorge Rodriguez (0-0, 1.80)

Mahoning Valley - RHP Jose Zapata (1-0, 0.00)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 (7:05 vs. West Virginia): Half-Price Wednesday presented by BIG Froggy 101...Going Green Night...State College Borough Water Authority Water Conservation Awareness Night

THURSDAY, JULY 2 (7:05 vs. West Virginia): Bark in the Park presented by Metzger Animal Hospital & Happy 103...$1 Beer Thursday presented by 93.7 THE BUS...Live Music by StressBusters Entertainment

FRIDAY, JULY 3 (7:05 vs. West Virginia): FIREWORKS presented by the PA Lottery...4 for $44 Friday Northwest Family Value Ticket Package presented by Norhwest and MAJIC 99...First Responders Appreciation Night presented by the Centre Daily Times

-SPIKES EMBARK ON FIRST EXTENDED ROAD TRIP OF THE YEAR: The State College Spikes continue their 10th Season tonight as they begin a six-game road trip with a matchup against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. The road trip, which is the Spikes' first prolonged time away from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park this year, includes three games at Mahoning Valley and three games at Staten Island. State College is 45-45 all-time against Mahoning Valley, with a 17-28 mark in games played at Eastwood Field. The Spikes are also on hand for their third different home opener this year as the Scrappers open up the Eastwood Field slate tonight.

-LAST GAME: Craig Aikin produced two hits in his debut with the Spikes, and Mike Pritchard added two as well, but a four-run Auburn Doubledays third gave them an 8-3 win over State College on Wednesday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Aikin, who joined the Spikes earlier in the day after being promoted from Rookie-level Johnson City, collected a single and double in his first two at-bats. The University of Oklahoma product had gone 1-for-4 in Johnson City's Appalachian League opener two night ago in Kingsport, TN. Pritchard started the season 0-for-13 at the plate, but produced his second straight multi-hit game to help key the offense. The left fielder also drove in Aikin with a groundout in the fifth.

-RODRIGUEZ GETS THE BALL FOR SPIKES: Right-hander Jorge Rodriguez gets the ball tonight for State College in his second start of the summer. Rodriguez yielded a solo home run to Williamsport's Jan Hernandez on Saturday, but that was the only run he allowed over five innings in a no-decision. The San Cristobal, Dominican Republic native allowed four hits total in his opening start, and struck out three. Rodriguez led 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.

-SCRAPPERS GO WITH ZAPATA FOR STARTERS: Right-hander Jose Zapata will start on the hill for Mahoning Valley tonight. Zapata is making his third overall appearance after a pair of relief outings to begin the NYPL season. The Santiago Rodriguez, Dominican Republic native has tossed three scoreless innings so far this season, allowing a total of three hits and striking out four batters. Zapata got the win on Opening Night in West Virginia after pitching the fifth and sixth innings. The 22-year-old spent 2014 with the Scrappers as well, leading the team with 20 appearances

-MAKING MOVES: The Spikes welcomed two new players to State College as outfielder Craig Aikin and infielder Josh Swirchak joined the club yesterday. Aikin, the Cardinals' 13th-round draft choice this year out of Oklahoma, spent Opening Day of the Appalachian League season with Rookie-level Johnson City yesterday, going 1-for-4 with a run batted in. Swirchak, who signed with the Cardinals as a non-drafted free agent out of Wilmington (DE) University shortly after the draft concluded, also came from Johnson City, and is still to make his home debut. They replace outfielders Jhohan Acevedo and Kenny Peoples-Walls, who were both promoted to Single-A Peoria yesterday.

-SPIKE MARKS: Batavia's Gabriel Castellanos, Brett Lilek and Steven Farnworth combined on a perfect game against Mahoning Valley last night, with Castellanos striking out 12 over seven innings in the Muckdogs' 1-0 win...Friday's Opening Night crowd of 5,921 trailed only the 6,066 fans at the regular season home finale on August 30, 2014 for the largest crowd in franchise history...Ian McKinney leads the NYPL in innings pitched with 11 2/3...Mike Pritchard has not struck out yet in 22 plate appearances this year

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