Spikes fall to Muckdogs' offensive flurry

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - Bryce Denton doubled in his first run with the State College Spikes, but 18 Batavia Muckdogs hits were too much for the Spikes to overcome in dropping a 9-4 decision at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on Wednesday night.
State College (1-2) fell behind 8-0 going into the bottom of the third inning, but scratched out a run on Danny Martin 's single in the third. Denton's two-base hit to left in the seventh, which was mere feet away from a home run, also kept the Spike's hopes alive. State College produced a late flurry of its own, scoring two runs and putting a pair of runners on base with one out before eventually finishing the game.

However, Batavia (3-0) used a multi-pronged attack to become the first team in the New York-Penn League to reach three wins. Jhonny Santos went 4-for-5 with two doubles, while Zach Daly finished a home run shy of the cycle and drove in two runs as part of a 3-for-5 night. Marcos Rivera also delivered three hits for the Muckdogs.
Spikes starter Jonathon Mulford (0-1) took the loss in his debut with the club. Mulford gave up eight runs on 12 hits, two walks and a hit batsman over three innings. Mulford struck out one in the effort.
State College outfielder J.D. Crowe also produced his first professional hit, stolen base and run scored in the third inning. The Francis Marion University product was drafted in the 23^rd round by the Cardinals in 2016, but did not sign until this past November.
Batavia starter Sam Perez allowed just one run on four hits while striking out five batters over four innings before leaving the mound. Reliever Manny Rodriguez (1-0) picked up the win with two shutout innings in which he gave up one hit while striking out one batter.
Thursday night, the Spikes and Muckdogs meet in the middle game of a three-game set at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Anthony Shew is set to make his first start of the season for State College, while Batavia goes with right-hander Hunter Wells .
Bring your favorite pup to the ballpark for four-legged fun during the first Bark in the Park of the year, presented by Metzger Animal Hospital and NEWSRADIO 1390 WRSC. First pitch is 7:05 p.m., and fans can bring their dogs for plenty of canine-centric fun, with special tributes to our furry friends. Plus, 12-oz. domestic draft beers are just $1 apiece from 6-8 p.m. on the first $1 Beer Thursday of the year, presented by BIG Froggy 101.
The series finishes off with Friday's Championship Celebration Night, presented by First National Bank. Fans can join the Spikes in paying homage to the 2016 NYPL championship team with a special trophy presentation before the 7:05 p.m. game, and the first 500 fans will share in the championship spoils with their very own NYPL Championship Replica Ring. After the game, the skies will light up with FIREWORKS presented by Fullington Bus Company on Clearfield County Night featuring a FREE Kids Zone!
Tickets for all three games, as well as every game on the Spikes' 2017 home schedule, are currently on sale through the Spikes Ticket Office by calling (814) 272-1711 or by visiting in person. 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 Health, at 6:35 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.
Spikes fans can also catch home games in 2017 even when outside Central PA thanks to MiLB.TV to stream all games online to paid subscribers of the service. MiLB.TV offers fans the chance to follow the game's future stars across Minor League Baseball, with more than 5,000 games streamed live, including affiliates of all 30 MLB teams, and complete game archives available on demand. Fans can use the promo code "SPIKES" to save $10 on the regular yearly price.