UNIVERSITY PARK - Brock Holt started the State College Spikes' offense with the team's first home run of the year, but the Spikes fell short in a 5-4 loss to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers on Sunday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Holt's leadoff blast in the first inning provided a early thrill to the 4,404 fans in attendance and was the initial spark in a three-run frame for State College (4-6) staking it to a 3-2 lead.
Mahoning Valley (7-3) retook the lead at 4-3 after runs in the fourth and sixth innings. After after Edward Garcia tied it back up in the sixth with an RBI single for the Spikes, Chun Chen drove in what proved to be the game-winning run with a two-out RBI single in
the seventh.
Pat Irvine contributed to the Spikes' offensive charge as well, going 2 for 2 with a double and a sacrifice fly.
Michael Felix (0-1) took the loss, going four innings and allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits. Felix also struck out two in relief of Spikes starter Maurice Bankston, who made his return to the mound for State College on Sunday after joining the team this past Thursday.
Saturday's game
Spikes 4,
Doubledays 3 (10 inn.)
AUBURN, N.Y. - Pat Irvine's RBI single in the top of the 10th inning provided the winning run as the State College Spikes rebounded from losing a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the Auburn Doubledays, 4-3, at Falcon Park on Saturday night.
Irvine brought home Andy Vasquez with the eventual game-winning run after Vasquez's one-out triple to center field. Vasquez went 2 for 5 in the game, adding a double and two total runs scored.
State College (4-5) went into its first extra-inning game of the year after Auburn (3-5) scored a pair of runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth on Chris Hopkins's RBI double and an error by Vasquez to allow the tying run to score.
The Spikes took their initial lead when Vasquez, Justin Byler, and David Rubinstein all doubled to contribute to a three-run fourth inning.
