NYPL State College Spikes

Whalen, Dunn Go Deep, But Spikes Fall to Muckdogs, 5-4

Published on August 1, 2018 under New York-Penn League (NYPL)
State College Spikes News Release


UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Brady Whalen and Nick Dunn each hit their first home runs at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, but the State College Spikes took a 5-4 defeat at the hands of the Batavia Muckdogs on Wednesday afternoon.

Whalen's solo shot, his third home run of the season, cut the Spikes' (19-25) deficit to 2-1. The State College first baseman added a single and a walk while scoring two runs in the game.

Dunn then brought the Spikes within a run in the ninth with a two-run homer into the right field bleachers for his second blast as a professional. However, the Spikes could get no closer with their late rally.

Sean Reynolds gave Batavia (19-25) the lead in the first with a two-out solo homer to the Pepsi Picnic Pavilion. Luke Jarvis then extended the margin to 2-0 with an RBI double in the seventh.

The Muckdogs then took advantage of two State College errors in the fifth to score a pair of runs on a Reynolds double, and capitalized on another Spikes miscue in the eighth to make the score 5-2 with a J.D. Osborne double.

The game, originally scheduled for a noon start, was delayed two hours, 20 minutes at the outset by rain.

State College starter Franyel Casadilla (1-1), who re-entered the starting rotation in a late switch, took the loss after allowing four runs, but just two of them earned, on five hits while striking out three batters over 4 1/3 innings. Casadilla was making his first start for the Spikes since June 20.

Batavia reliever Tyler Kolek (1-1) picked up the win with three innings of work in which he gave up one unearned run on one hit and two walks while striking out one. Kolek, the second overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, was making his second appearance with the Muckdogs in 2018.

Elkin Alcala (4) picked up the save despite allowing Dunn's home run in the ninth. Alcala yielded a total of two hits in his lone inning of work.

The Spikes now begin a four-game, three-day series against the Auburn Doubledays (Washington Nationals) with a doubleheader consisting of two seven-inning games. First pitch for the opener is set for 4:05 p.m.

State College will have right-hander Michael Baird (0-1), who earned the New York-Penn League Pitcher of the Week Award on Monday after tossing five no-hit innings at Connecticut last Wednesday, on the mound for game one. Right-hander Edgar Gonzalez (1-0) gets the ball for the Spikes in the nightcap.

Auburn will go with left-hander Aaron Fletcher (0-0) on the hill in the first game, with right-hander Angel Guillen (4-1) getting the nod for the second game.

Fans can have double the fun on Thursday as $1 Beer Thursday, presented by BIG Froggy 101, returns for the first of five occasions in the month of August. 12-oz. domestic draft beers will be available for just $1 each at the usual time of 6-8 p.m.

It's also the Inaugural Lemont Night, as the Spikes pay tribute to the picturesque hamlet situated just down the road from the ballpark as part of the Community Nights Series presented by CATA. Plus, youngsters can enjoy a FREE Kids Zone presented by Friends of Jake Corman.

The homestand continues with Bark in the Park III, presented by NEWSRADIO 1390 WRSC, on Friday, August 3, and Animal House Night with a State "College" Sweater Jersey-off-the-Back Auction presented by PSECU to benefit Children's Miracle Network plus FIREWORKS on Saturday, August 4.

Tickets for each game from Thursday through Saturday, as well as the 2018 New York-Penn League All-Star Game presented by the Central PA Convention & Visitors Bureau, the 2018 NYPL All-Star Tailgate Gala presented by Reinhart Foodservice, and every game on the 2018 Spikes home schedule, are currently on sale through the Spikes Ticket Office.

Tickets can be purchased by calling (814) 272-1711 or by visiting the Ticket Office in person from 9 a.m. to the end of the game on gamedays Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to the end of the game on gamedays Saturday and Sunday. Fans can also buy and download single-game tickets by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.

Catch all of the action on Thursday via the Spikes Radio Network, presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, Official Healthcare Provider of Penn State Athletics, at 3:35 p.m. with Spikes Live, presented by Mount Nittany Health, on the air from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. 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, Newsradio 1390 WRSC, as well as the TuneIn Radio app.

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New York-Penn League Stories from August 1, 2018


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