Spate of doubles not enough in 7-5 loss to Muckdogs

BATAVIA, N.Y. - The State College Spikes smashed four doubles in one inning and five for the game, but the Batavia Muckdogs used a power surge of their own to take a 7-5 decision on Friday night at Dwyer Stadium.
The defeat dropped the Spikes (33-33) four games back of the Muckdogs (37-29) for the New York-Penn League Pinckney Division lead. State College is now in fourth place behind Batavia, West Virginia and Mahoning Valley.
Stanley Espinal , Dariel Gomez and Brylie Ware delivered three straight doubles in the third to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead. Two batters after Ware, Moises Castillo struck another two-base hit down the left-field line to bring in the Spikes' third run.

Batavia bounced back to score three runs in the bottom of the third, though. Nic Ready drove in the first of his two runs batted in with a single to left, and Julian Infante's sacrifice fly to left field was erred upon by Espinal.
The Muckdogs then finished their scoring with Troy Johnston 's double to center in the fourth, followed by a two-run inside-the-park home run for Ready, his ninth home run of the season.
Ready has knocked in eight runs over the first two games of the series against the Spikes.
State College chipped away at the lead with David Vinsky 's RBI triple to right in the seventh to score Espinal and a wild pitch that scored Pedro Pages , but could get no closer.
Batavia took the opening lead of the game when J.D. Orr started the bottom of the first with a triple and scored on Dalvy Rosario 's sacrifice fly to center.
Pages extended his on-base streak to 17 games with a walk in the eighth before he scored the Spikes' last run.
State College starter Junior Gonzalez (3-5) took the loss after being charged with all seven Batavia runs on eight hits and two walks over 3 1/3 innings. Gonzalez struck out one batter in the effort.
Batavia starter Edgar Martinez (3-4) got the win. Martinez allowed three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out five batters over five innings.
Evan Brabrand (13), the NYPL's saves leader, picked up another save with a one-hit ninth inning in which he struck out two batters.
Orr finished the game just a home run shy of the cycle, going 3-for-5 for the night.
Saturday, the Spikes complete their three-game set at Dwyer Stadium against the Muckdogs with a 7:05 p.m. matchup. Right-hander Enmanuel Solano (2-7), who pitched the longest complete game in State College franchise history with a seven-inning outing during the Spikes' win over Auburn in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader, gets the ball against Batavia left-hander Easton Lucas (0-2).
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.
In addition, the Ticket Office will be open in person this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fans can also buy and download single-game tickets by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.
Catch all of the action on Saturday 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.