Spikes erupt for 16 hits to down Crosscutters
Bruce Caldwell and Ronald Castillo led the State College Spikes' offensive charge with four hits apiece as the home club collected 16 hits total to propel them past the Williamsport Crosscutters, 8-3, on Wednesday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
State College (2-1) took the season-opening series from Williamsport (1-2) with the win, putting them above .500 after three games for the first time since the franchise's inaugural season of 2006.
The Spikes also saw great pitching efforts from a pair of hurlers, each of whom each made his professional debut. 27-year-old rookie Mitch Harris, who retired all five batters he faced. Harris, who came back to baseball after serving a five-year active duty commitment in the United States Navy as a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, also struck out the very first batter he faced in his first action during an official game since 2008, when the Cardinals drafted him in the 13th round.
Kevin Herget (1-0) earned the victory in his first professional appearance with 3 1/3 scoreless innings in which he gave up three hits and a walk. Herget, also struck out two batters.
Williamsport held the early advantage with a pair of runs in the second inning thanks to an error, a walk, and back-to-back RBI singles from Justin Parr and Gustavo Martinez. However, the Spikes would start their surge with two outs in the fourth, as Luke Voit singled and Michael Schulze doubled to put runners on second and third. Steven Ramos then brought them both in with a single to left field, and scored himself on Jimmy Bosco's base hit to make it 3-2, State College.
The Spikes had more in store in the fifth inning, this time not waiting until late in the inning to make their move. Five straight runners reached base to begin the frame, with Castillo's RBI single and a bases-loaded error plating two more runs. Schulze would then drive in his first pro run with a sacrifice fly to left to increase the State College lead to 6-2.
After the Spikes added yet another run when Castillo singled and came around to score thanks to two wild pitches in the seventh, the Crosscutters made their final offensive maneuver in the eighth inning when Logan Pierce knocked in Dylan Cozens with a single up the middle.
State College would have the final say at the plate in the eighth, though, as Caldwell got on base with an infield single, stole second, and crossed the plate on Castillo's fifth hit of the game.
Caldwell and Castillo each reached their quartet of hits in five at-bats, whit both scoring a pair of runs. Castillo also added a double to the Spikes' cause, while Cesar Valera continued his hot start with the bat by putting together a 2-for-5 night with the club's first triple of the year.
Williamsport reliever Ramon Oviedo (0-1) took the loss after yielding all three of the Spikes' fifth-inning runs, two of them earned. Oviedo also gave up four hits while striking out one in his only inning of work.
The top two hitters in the Crosscutters order, Martinez and Cardozo, were the only Williamsport players with multiple hits. State College outhit Williamsport in the game, 16-9.
Thursday, the Spikes begin their first full-fledged road trip of the year in the first game of a three-game set with the Auburn Doubledays (Washington Nationals). The 7:05 p.m. game at Falcon Park will see southpaw Ben O'Shea (0-0) get his first start of the year for the Spikes after spending last season with the Batavia Muckdogs. Auburn will go with right-hander Deion Williams (0-0), a 16th-round draft choice of the Nationals in 2011.
After the excursion to Auburn, the Spikes come back to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park for a three-game set against the Jamestown Jammers (Pittsburgh Pirates) starting with a 6:05 p.m. contest on Sunday, June 23. It will be a Family Fireworks Funday at the park as First National Bank presented a fantastic post-game FIREWORKS show. The Spikes will also be helping make miracles happen on Children's Miracle Network Night, with special bats autographed by the Spikes up for bids in a Children's Miracle Network Bat Auction throughout the night.
Prior to the game, fans get to know the Spikes up close and personal at the free team autograph session, then play catch on the field from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. After the game, kids can run the bases after the game thanks to Clinical Outcomes Group, Inc.
Tickets for Sunday's game, as well as every Spikes home game on the 2013 slate, are currently on sale through the Spikes Box Office by calling(814) 272-1711 or by visiting in person. Fans can also buy and print single-game tickets by visiting State College Spikes.com.
Catch all of the action on Thursday via the Spikes Radio Network, presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, at 6:50 p.m. with Spikes Live, presented by Mount Nittany Health, on the air from Falcon Park. The Spikes' radio broadcast can also be heard worldwide through the "Listen Live" link on StateCollegeSpikes.com, provided by 95.3 FM 3WZ.