Doubledays rout Spikes again

STATE COLLEGE, P.A. - The Auburn Doubledays (41-27) continued their success at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park this season, routing the State College Spikes (31-36) by a score of 16-4 on Tuesday night. The win gives the Doubledays a 4-0 record in State College this summer, and they are 7-2 in the season series against the Spikes.

It was a five-run fifth inning that blew the game open for Auburn. The Doubledays were ahead 6-3 entering the fifth. The first three batters in the inning reached base, one via a walk and two with singles. Then, after a fly out to right, came a two-run double from 2B Tony Renda and an RBI single by SS Wes Schill. It was Renda who scored on Schill's single, and then Schill came around to score a few batters later when DH Estarlin Martinez laced a single to left. When the inning finally came to an end Auburn had sent 10 batters to the plate, and had scored their five runs on five hits, a walk, and one hit batsman.

The Doubledays collected two more runs each of the next two innings to really put the game out of hand. In the sixth Auburn was issued three walks and was given an extra out on a throwing error by 3B D.J. Crumlich, so they only needed one hit in the inning to collect their two runs. In the seventh the Doubledays again took advantage of a throwing error by Crumlich to post two more runs on the scoreboard. Just like the inning before, Auburn only needed one hit in the frame to collect its runs.

Auburn had broken a 2-2 tie in the third with a four-run output. The third inning also saw the Doubledays bat around, with the biggest hit coming from LF Wander Ramos, who sent a ball sailing over the left field wall for his team-leading sixth homerun of the season. Ramos' homer was a two-run shot, and was one of five hits in the frame for Auburn. The Doubledays finished the night with 18 hits, matching their season high.

Each team's first two runs came in the first. In the top half of the inning Renda lead off with a walk, and moved to second when 1B Shawn Pleffner singled to right. Both runners advanced on a throwing error by LHP Joely Rodriguez. Renda scored from third on a groundout to short, and Pleffner scored on a single up the middle by Martinez. In the bottom of the frame it was a bases loaded walk to catcher Jacob Stallings that put the Spikes first run on the board. Then, with the bases still loaded and one out SS Chris Diaz hit a sacrifice fly to right to knot the score at two apiece.

LHP Nick Lee (2-1) got the start and win for Auburn, allowing three earned runs on four hits over five innings. Rodriguez (3-3) suffered the loss, lasting just 2.2 innings and surrendering six runs (four earned) on seven hits. The Spikes used six pitchers in total, including using infielder Jimmy Rider to pitch the ninth.

The Doubledays wrap-up their three game series with the Spikes on Wednesday August 29. Auburn will send RHP Will Hudgins (0-0) to the mound for his first start of the season. He will square off against RHP Adrian Sampson (0-1) for State College. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm. All Doubledays road games can be heard on WAUB 98.1FM and 1590AM, and online at www.fingerlakesdailynews.com by clicking on the WAUB stream under the "listen" tab.