Kelly, De Leon lead way as Spikes hold on to win

Carson Kelly smashed a pair of doubles and Alex De Leon notched his first two runs batted in as a professional as the State College Spikes opened up a six-run lead in the sixth inning and held on to take a 7-5 victory from the Auburn Doubledays on Thursday night at Falcon Park.

The Spikes (3-1) used a pair of big innings to fuel the offensive outburst, forcing the Doubledays (2-2) to use four different pitchers over the fifth and sixth innings in the process.

State College began the fifth in a 1-1 tie, but Kelly's first two-bagger began the barrage. Three batters later, and after Auburn starter Deion Williams (0-1) left the game in favor of Niko Spezial, De Leon started the two-out thunder with an RBI single to bring in Kelly followed by a stolen base. Jimmy Bosco and Cesar Valera kept up the assault with back-to-back RBI doubles to increase the margin to 4-1.

In the sixth inning, the Spikes got a David Washington single and another double by Kelly off of reliever Michael Sylvestri to put runners on second and third with one out. Both runners would score without the benefit of a hit as Washington crossed the plate on a wild pitch and, after a Matthew Young walk, Kelly came home on a fielding error as Young stole second base. De Leon capped off the rally with his second pro RBI on a double to center field before Silvio Medina stopped the surge for Auburn.

The Doubledays would make their biggest response in the sixth inning. Isaac Ballou started the frame by reaching on an infield single, and Wilmer Difo walked right after him. After a strikeout, Jimmy Yezzo came through with a single to load the bases with one out.

Wilman Rodriguez then launched a ball towards the left field wall that caromed back into the field of play, scoring just one run as Ballou got mixed up on the basepaths. Despite Auburn's claim that the ball ricocheted off of a tree above the fence back to the field, the umpires' call that the ball bounced off the fence stood, preventing the Doubledays from furthing edging into the Spikes's lead.

Cody Gunter singled in another run to bring Auburn within 7-3, but the Doubledays would leave the bases loaded without plating any more runners in the sixth as Jhonny Polanco came in and struck out two batters in a row to end the stanza. Auburn added another run in the seventh inning and one more in the eighth, but Brady Adamek (1) recorded the final six outs, including three in a row in the ninth, for his first professional save.

The Spikes got on the board first in the second inning when Ronald Castillo reached base via walk, stole second base and scored on Trevor Martin's RBI single before Martin was thrown out at second trying to stretch it into a double. Auburn struck back in the third inning as Difo homered to left field with a solo shot off of Ben O'Shea (1-0).

O'Shea picked up his first win of the season in his debut for State College after hurling for the Batavia Muckdogs last year. The left-hander went 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out six. O'Shea's strikeout total is the highest for any Spikes pitcher in a single outing this season.

Adamek gave up one run on one hit and a walk while punching out two in his two innings on the mound for the save. Polanco ended up striking out four batters in 1 2/3 innings while allowing one unearned run on one hit.

Williams took the loss after giving up two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out five.

Difo and Jean Valdez each put up multi-hit performances for Auburn.

Friday, the Spikes and Doubledays meet at Falcon Park for the middle game of the their three-game set in a 7:05 p.m. matchup. Spikes right-hander Nick Petree (0-0) makes his professional debut as he gets the start. Petree, the ninth-round draft choice of the Cardinals in 2013 out of Missouri State, was named the Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year in his junior season of 2012 after leading all NCAA Division I pitchers with a 1.01 ERA. Righty Reynaldo Lopez (0-0) gets the ball for Auburn.

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 StateCollegeSpikes.com.

Catch all of the action on Friday 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.