Hall helps Spikes make history Sunday

BOX SCORE/PLAY-BY-PLAY (via PitchAware)

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Hylan Hall smashed a solo homer and stole two bases to give the State College Spikes a single-season franchise record for team stolen bases, but the Williamsport Crosscutters held on to win, 5-4, on Sunday afternoon at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

Hall, a Wabash Valley (Ill.) College product who is ticketed for Washington State in the fall, smashed a 1-0 pitch from Williamsport (18-19) starter Troy Taylor (4-1) 382 feet into the Pepsi Picnic Pavilion in left field for a fifth-inning solo shot. The homer was Hall’s second of the season, and gave State College (17-24) a 3-2 lead.

The speedy outfielder also nabbed both of his steals in the ninth, enabling the Spikes to surpass their previous single-season team record of 90 stolen bases, accomplished in 2011 over a 76-game season. Michael Slaten also stole third in the ninth to put the Spikes at 92 stolen bases over a 41-game span this year.

Following a three-run Crosscutters sixth where Jaxon Shirley walked to bring in one run and Rob Marinec singled in two more, the Spikes drew within 5-4 on Cameron Lee’s two-out single in the sixth, then put the tying run into scoring position in the seventh and eighth while coming up empty.

State College had its final chance in the ninth, with Hall walking to lead off the inning before his pair of steals and Slaten also drawing a walk before his steal. However, after a walk to Lukas Cook loaded the bases, Williamsport reliever Hunter Caudelle (3) shut the door by striking out Cy Kerber to end the game.

Cook and Kerber had teamed up to give the Spikes their initial lead in the second, with Cook tripling in a run and Kerber following with a double to knock him in.

Louis Davenport III (2-2) went a season-long 5 1/3 innings but took the loss for State College. Davenport allowed five runs, four of them earned, on four hits and three walks. The right-hander struck out six batters. Trae Robertson finished out the game with 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief work in which he yielded two hits and two walks while four strikeouts.

Taylor picked up the win after giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out six batters over five innings. Caudelle walked three batters, but struck out three as well, in a no-hit ninth for the save.

After an MLB Draft League-wide off day on Monday, the Spikes hit the road to Ohio for a three-game series at Eastwood Field against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers starting with a 7:05 p.m. game on Tuesday. Starting pitchers have not yet been determined.

Following the road trip, the Spikes return home to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park to take on the Crosscutters on Friday and Saturday for a FIREWORKS weekend. Fantastic FIREWORKS shows will light up the skies over Happy Valley after both 6:35 p.m. games, with Penn State Health Medical Group presenting Friday’s festivities and the Central PA Autism Community presenting Saturday’s show on *Autism Awareness Night. *

Tickets for both games next weekend, as well as every game remaining on the 2021 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, starting with Spikes Live, presented by Mount Nittany Health, on the air from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The game can be viewed worldwide on the *MLB Draft League *streaming platform at MLBDraftLeague.com/streaming, along with the “Listen Live” link on StateCollegeSpikes.com and the *TuneIn Radio *app.

Attendance: 3,015

Time of Game: 3:02