Loyd laces pair of doubles, Spikes fall to 'Cutters

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

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Darryl Loyd III made an impact with two doubles and two runs batted in, but the State College Spikes were overwhelmed by the Williamsport Crosscutters’ array of big innings in the middle of the game in a 14-5 defeat on Friday night at Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field.

Loyd, the 18-year-old product of Morgan Park High School who won a Chicago Public League championship just two months ago, smashed a two-bagger in the fourth to bring in the Spikes’ (22-28-1) second run. The switch-hitting two-way player then doubled off the wall to bring in State College’s final run in the eighth.

Luke Seidel also produced a multi-hit game for the Spikes, notching two hits including a double.

However, Williamsport (22-25-2) produced three runs in the third, four in the fourth, two more in the fifth and a five-spot in the sixth to take the victory. Four different Crosscutters – Ramon Bramasco, Dakota Kotowski, Tito Fuentes III and Rob Marinec - each produced three hits. Bramasco and Marinec drove in three runs apiece, with Fuentes knocking in four.

Spikes starter Louis Davenport III (2-3) took the loss after yielding seven runs, six of them earned, on six hits and four walks over 3 2/3 innings. Davenport struck out five batters in the effort.

Taiga Yamane (1-0), who joined the Crosscutters on Friday, picked up the win in relief in his Williamsport debut. Yamane, a native of Totorri, Japan who pitches at Orange Coast (Calif.) College, allowed one unearned run on two hits and a walk while striking out three batters over three innings.

Saturday, the Spikes and Crosscutters meet in the middle game of their three-game series at Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field. The 7:05 p.m. matchup will feature right-hander and Oklahoma commit Griffin Miller (1-3) on the mound for the Spikes. Right-hander Troy Taylor (4-1) is scheduled to make the start for the Crosscutters.

Following the series in Williamsport, an off day on Monday, and a three-game road series against the Thunder, the Spikes will come back home on Friday, August 6 for a three-game set against the Crosscutters that starts the final five home games of the 2021 schedule.

Spikes fans will have the chance to carry the spirit of a historic, record-breaking Fourth of July forward with two of the three remaining editions of FIREWORKS From the Field as part of the series, and a $4 ticket discount to all remaining Spikes home games with a Fourth of July ticket.

All fans are invited to come down onto the field for an unprecedented view of the three remaining newly enhanced and lengthened FIREWORKS shows from the Spikes and their official FIREWORKS provider, Starfire Corporation. The fun includes displays on Friday, August 6, presented by The Meadows, and Saturday, August 7, presented by College Township.

More highlights include Scout Night and Penns Valley Community Night on August 6, the first-ever College Township Night on August 7, FREE Kids Zone! nights presented by Friends of Jake Corman at both of those games, and the last Bark in the Park of the season, presented by the Centre Daily Times, and Paint the Park Purple, presented by Juniper Village at Brookline, to raise funds and awareness in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease on August 8.

Additionally, fans who were part of the historic, record crowd of 7,183 on July 4 can relive that spirit with a $4 ticket discount for all ten remaining home games. The $4 discount, which excludes seats in the Geisinger Champions Club and Pepsi Picnic Pavilion, can be claimed by presenting a digital or printed ticket from the Spikes’ Fourth of July game at the Spikes Ticket Office.

Tickets for all three games coming up from August 6-8, all three remaining FIREWORKS From the Field dates, and all five games 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, August 6 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.