Doubledays sweep Spikes with comeback win

STATE COLLEGE, P.A. - The Auburn Doubledays (42-27) came back from a 4-1 deficit on Wednesday night to defeat the State College Spikes (31-37), 6-4, in front of 3,323 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The Doubledays won all five games they played at Lubrano Park this season.

It was a three-run sixth inning that gave Auburn the lead for good. Left fielder Estarlin Martinez walked to begin the inning, and two batters later RF Wander Ramos walked as well. Then, with two outs, CF Narciso Mesa hit a fly ball double to left, driving in Martinez from second to tie the game at 4-4. Shortstop Mike McQuillan followed Mesa's double with a triple down the right field line, clearing the bases and putting the Doubledays ahead by their final margin of victory.

Auburn had been down 4-1 after three innings, but the Doubledays scored a run each in the fourth and fifth to put themselves in position to take the lead in the sixth. In the fourth Martinez also walked to begin the inning. He went to second on an infield bunt single by catcher Craig Manuel, and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Ramos. Third baseman Carlos Alvarez then drove Martinez home with a sacrifice fly to left field. Auburn again turned a leadoff walk into a run in the fifth thanks to a single from 2B Tony Renda which moved McQuillan from first to third, and then an RBI groundout to first by 1B Shawn Pleffner.

The Spikes scored all four of their runs in the first three innings. In the first back-to-back singles by CF Walker Gourley and SS Chris Diaz lead off the frame. Gourley scored from third on a one-out sacrifice fly to center field. The bottom of the second saw the first three State College hitters get aboard to load the bases with no outs. Third baseman Yhonathan Barrios delivered a line drive single to left to drive in one run and keep the bases loaded with no outs. Gourley then reached on a fielder's choice, which allowed catcher Jon Schwind to score from third.

The final Spikes run, in the third inning, scored on another sacrifice fly, this one hit by Schwind. The four State College runs eliminated a 1-0 Doubledays lead, which Auburn took in the top of the first. It was McQuillan who ended up scoring on a wild pitch. He had lead off the game with a double to right. McQuillan totaled three extra-base hits on the night, and scored two runs.

RHP Cody Davis (4-1) earned the win for Auburn, pitching 3.1 innings in relief and allowing one earned run on three hits while striking out two. RHP Derek Self pitched a scoreless ninth to record his 12th save of the summer, and RHP Travis Henke contributed three shutout innings to collect hold number five. RHP Isaac Sanchez (0-1) suffered the loss for allowing all three Doubledays runs in the sixth.

The Doubledays begin a three game series with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers on Thursday August 30 in Niles, OH. Auburn will send RHP Ivan Pineyro (3-1) to the mound for his seventh start of the season. He will square off against LHP Ryan Merritt (3-4) for Mahoning Valley. 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.