Hometown Sports
Don't Miss

Spikes crush Double days, look for sweep

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – The State College Spikes overcame a slow start to produce 15 hits, including Bryce Denton’s second home run of the season, and surged to a 9-2 victory over the Auburn Doubledays on Monday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

Photo by Kenny Varner

Courtesy of State College Spikes
The Spikes (22-17) were held without a hit until the third, and trailed 2-0 going into the bottom of the fourth, but barreled forward starting with Yariel Gonzalez’s two-out RBI single in the fourth. Edwin Figuera then tied the game with a single to right in the fifth, and Scott Hurst’s two-run triple gave State College a lead they would not relinquish.

Denton then followed Brandon Benson’s run-scoring double in the seventh with a two-run blast over the left field wall to the Pepsi Picnic Pavilion for his third hit of the game to make it 7-2, Spikes. Figuera and Benson capped the scoring with RBI singles in the eighth to ice the win.

Figuera and Dennis Ortega also notched three hits apiece for State College, which clinched the series win in the three-game set.

Johan Oviedo (1-0) earned the win in his debut on the mound for the Spikes. Oviedo, the 19-year-old out of Cuba, allowed two runs on seven hits and three walks over 5 2/3 innings. The 6’6” right-hander also struck out eight batters and threw 88 pitches, a season high.

Levi MaVorhis followed Oviedo and tossed a scoreless inning before Will Latcham (3) finished the Spikes’ victory with 2 1/3 shutout frames. Latcham gave up one hit and one walk while striking out two hitters for the save.

Auburn (15-25) starter Yonathan Ramirez (2-3) took the loss. Ramirez yielded four runs, three of them earned, on ten hits over 5 2/3 innings. The righty also recorded one strikeout.

State College finished the game 6-for-16 with runners in scoring position.

Tuesday, the Spikes seek to complete a sweep of the Doubledays with a special noon game at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. State College will send right-hander Jonathon Mulford (2-3) to the mound, while Auburn will go with right-hander Kyle Johnston (0-0).

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.