Spikes win home opener in 11-inning thriller

By rscaife
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Updated: June 17, 2018

Photo by Tim Weight

By BRIAN CARSON

UNIVERSITY PARK – There was plenty of drama in the State College Spikes home opener against the Williamsport Crosscutters Saturday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

The Spikes scored the winning run in the bottom of the 11th for a 7-6 victory over the Crosscutters.

According to Minor League baseball rules, a runner for each team must start extra innings on second. Delvin Perez started at second for the Spikes and scored when Brenden Donovan reached on an error, plating Perez for the game-winner.

State College (1-1) drew first blood with a run in the third. Edwin Figuera and Nick Dunn led off with back-to-back walks, went to second and third on a double steal before a Perez groundout to short plated Figuera.

Williamsport (1-1) answered with two runs in the fourth when Brayan Gonzales walked and went to third on a throwing error on State College starting pitcher Winston Nicacio. Danny Mayer ripped a double to the left-center gap, scoring Gonzales, while Jesus Henriquez followed with a double to left bringing home Mayer.

State College evened things up at 2-all in the bottom of the fourth when Brady Whalen walked and went to third on a knock up the middle by Justin Toerner. Wadye Ynfante plated Whalen with a sacrifice fly to center field.

The Spikes regained the lead in the sixth thanks to some help from the Crosscutters. Ynfante walked, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored when Alexis Wilson reached on an error.

Williamsport knotted things up once again with a run in the eighth. Keudy Bocio singled to right and Rafael Marchan tripled to the gap in left-center scoring Bocio.

The Crosscutters took a 4-3 lead in the ninth. Nerluis Martinez singled to left, Stoney O’Brien walked, Julio Francisco reached on an error, and Martinez came home on a bloop single to right by Bocio.

State College responded once again with a run in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings. Wilson kicked things off with a walk, Figuera laid down a bunt single, and Nick Dunn advanced both runners with a sac bunt. Brendan Donovan tied it up with a sacrifice to center plating pinch runner Andres Luna.

The back-and-forth action continued with the Crosscutters regaining the lead with two runs in the tenth. Henriquez doubled home Gonzales and Martinez singled to right scoring Henriquez for the 6-4 advantage.

The Spikes kept the extra baseball going with two runs in the bottom of the tenth. Catcher Joe Gomez was hit by a pitch with bases loaded scoring Toerner, while a Dunn sacrifice to right plated Ynfante.

Will Changarotty pitched one inning of relief for the victory. Anton Kuznetsov suffered the loss for Williamsport. Toerner led the Spikes with two hits. Henriquez paced the Crosscutters with two hits and two RBIs.

Williamsport finished the game with 10 hits, while the Spikes ended with eight.

State College hosts Mahoning Valley on Monday with action getting underway at 7:05.