Espinal and Vinsky provide spark despite Spikes' defeat

BATAVIA, N.Y. - Stanley Espinal and David Vinsky each produced three hits and an RBI for the State College Spikes, but a seven-run eighth sent the Batavia Muckdogs past the Spikes for a 9-5 win on Thursday night at Dwyer Stadium.
The Spikes (33-32) took a 4-2 lead into the eighth, but after an error by Shane Benes scored two runs to tie the game, the Muckdogs (36-29) piled on with a Troy Johnston RBI single, followed by Nic Ready 's two-run double and a two-run homer to center for Sean Reynolds , his fourth of the season.
State College took the lead in the first when Vinsky singled, stole second and came in to score on Terry Fuller 's single to right. The Spikes then extended the lead to 2-0 on Espinal's RBI single in the fourth.
Ready tied the game with a two-run homer of his own, his eighth of the season, but the Spikes responded with Moises Castillo 's single to score Espinal in the sixth. State College then scored again in the eighth with Vinsky's single to left-center field before the Batavia deluge.
Jacob Schlesener (2-6) took the loss in relief for the Spikes. Schlesener retired the first six batters he faced, three via strikeout, then recorded one out in the eighth while allowing seven runs, six of them earned, on five hits and a walk.
Edison Suriel (3-2) went the last 1 1/3 innings to pick up the win for Batavia. Suriel struck out three batters and allowed one run on one hit and two walks.
Pedro Pages singled in the first inning to extend his on-base streak to 16 consecutive games, the longest current string for any Spike.
Friday, the Spikes look to bounce back in the middle game of their three-game series with the Muckdogs at Dwyer Stadium. The 7:05 p.m. matchup will feature right-hander Junior Gonzalez (3-4) on the mound for State College against Batavia right-hander Edgar Martinez (2-4).
The Spikes then return to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park after the jaunt to Batavia for a three-game home set against the West Virginia Black Bears (Pittsburgh Pirates) that starts with Sunday's Trace McSorley Bobblehead Giveaway presented by The Nittany Lion Inn & The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center and State College's ESPN Radio 1450 for the first 1,000 fans with FIREWORKS after the game presented by First National Bank.
Tickets for all four games remaining on the 2019 home schedule, are currently on sale through the Spikes Ticket Office. Tickets can be purchased by calling (814) 272-1711 or by visiting the Ticket Office in person from 9 a.m. to the end of the game on gamedays Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to the end of the game on gamedays Saturday and Sunday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on non-gamedays Monday through Friday.
Fans can also buy and download 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, Official Healthcare Provider of Penn State Athletics, at 6:50 p.m. with Spikes Live, presented by Mount Nittany Health, on the air from Dwyer Stadium. 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.

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