Warner's blast keys Spikes' win over 'Cutters

UNIVERSITY PARK ,Pa. - Andrew Warner blasted his sixth home run of the season, and Martin Figueroa added an early three-run triple, as the State College Spikes topped the Williamsport Crosscutters, 9-3, on Monday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
The Spikes (19-18) jumped out in front early as Figueroa lined a ball off the top of the 18.55-foot high wall in right field with the bases loaded for a triple to make it 3-1.
Warner then smashed an 0-2 pitch from Williamsport (10-26) starter Carlos Francisco (0-1) an estimated 405 feet to left field for a three-run shot to extend the State College advantage to 6-1. The home run put Warner into a tie for third in the New York-Penn League in that category, one behind Ezequiel Duran of Staten Island and George Valera of Mahoning Valley.

The Crosscutters edged into their deficit with a two-run homer in the sixth from Johan Rojas , his first of the season. Rojas finished the game 3-for-4 and was just a double shy of the cycle.
State College capped the win with a three-run eighth. Dariel Gomez 's infield single scored one run, with an error on the same play bringing another in before Stanley Espinal 's single up the middle scored the last run of the game.
Spikes starter Adrian Mardueno (2-1) lasted a career-long five innings on the mound for the win. Mardueno, the Cardinals' 2019 20^th-round draft choice out of San Diego State, yielded one run on seven hits and struck out four batters on the night.
Eric Lex (1) allowed one hit over the last two innings of the game and struck out two batters to earn the six-out save.
Francisco took the loss after giving up six runs on five hits and three walks over two innings. The right-hander also struck out two batters.
Figueroa extended his hitting streak to seven games and his on-base streak to 14 games. Terry Fuller reached base four times with two hits and two walks to go with a stolen base.
Tuesday, the Spikes hit the road to begin a three-game series at Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Cleveland Indians). The 7:05 p.m. matchup will feature right-hander Junior Gonzalez (2-1) making his first start of the year for State College against Mahoning Valley right-hander Jhonneyver Gutierrez (1-4).
Following the road trip, the Spikes begin a stretch of six home games in seven days with a weekend series against the West Virginia Black Bears (Pittsburgh Pirates).
Highlights of the three-game set include Friday's Blair Thomas Bobblehead Giveaway for the first 1,000 fans presented by First National Bank along with a Blair Thomas Appearance, Saturday morning's Youth Baseball Clinic presented by Penn State Health Medical Group followed by the Spikes Team Poster Giveaway for the first 1,000 fans and a Pre-Game Team Autograph Session presented by Boyles Insurance, and Sunday's Paint the Park Pink Night presented by Mount Nittany Health with a Pink Plaid Blanket Giveaway for the first 1,000 fans and a Pink Plaid Jersey-off-the-Back Auction on the LiveSource app to benefit the Mount Nittany Health Foundation.
Plus, fans can enjoy a pair of fantastic FIREWORKS shows, with Friday's presented by Fullington Auto Bus Company and Sunday's presented by Mount Nittany Health, as well as Bellefonte Community Night, presented by Swartz Fire & Safety, on Friday and Philipsburg-Osceola Community Night on Sunday.
Tickets for each game in the upcoming homestand, as well as every game 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 tickets by clicking here.
Catch all of the action on Tuesday 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 Eastwood Field. 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.