Flashback: One week. Spikes Clinch playoff spot

By rscaife
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Updated: August 26, 2014

Courtesy of the State College Spikes

JAMESTOWN, NY – The State College Spikes earned their second consecutive New York-Penn League Pinckney Division championship with a 7-3 victory over the Jamestown Jammers on Saturday night, August 23^{rd at Russell Diethrick Park.}

With the win, the Spikes (41-26) become the first team in the NYPL to clinch a berth in the New York-Penn League playoffs, which will begin on Wednesday, September 3.

Jake Stone propelled the State College offense in the division-clinching game, driving in five runs. Stone smashed a three-run homer to left-center field in the third inning to extend the Spikes’ lead to 5-0, and then added a two-run double in the fourth. Stone and Nick Thompson, who contributed an RBI double in the first, are now both tied for the team lead in runs batted in with 38.

Danny Diekroeger also extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a third-inning single. Diekroeger’s string is just one game shy of the club record of 18 games, set by Brian Friday in 2007.

Robelys Reyes also brought in a run with a first-inning single as State College scored twice in the opening frame to establish a lead that they would not relinquish.

Will Anderson (6-2) turned in another quality start for his sixth win of the year as he yielded three runs on five hits and two walks over six-plus innings of work. Jeff Rauh took over in the seventh and pitched two frames without allowing a run. Kyle Grana then struck out two and elicited the final out, an Elvis Escobar popout to Spikes third baseman Danny Diekroeger, in the ninth.

Jamestown (30-35) surged for three runs in the seventh to snap a 15-inning scoreless streak as former Spike Francisco Aponte doubled to plate two runners and scored himself on Deybi Garcia’s double one batter later. However, the Jammers would not mount any more offense.

Starter Austin Coley (0-2) went just one inning on the mound for the Jammers, but took the loss after yielding the Spikes’ first two runs on two hits and two walks.

Chase Simpson was the only Jamestown player with multiple hits and notched a double to start the seventh-inning rally.

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