BATAVIA, N.Y. - Cole White delivered his third home run of the season to help the State College Spikes stay in the thick of it with the Batavia Muckdogs, but two big innings helped the Muckdogs down the Spikes, 6-2, on Monday night at Dwyer Stadium.
Batavia (41-27) scored three runs in the third inning off of State College (32-37) starter Brandon Cumpton (0-1) before White got a hold of a 2-1 pitch and sent it over the center field wall in the sixth. The homer brought the Spikes within a 3-1 margin, but the Muckdogs responded with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to shore up their lead.
Kelson Brown started a brief State College rally in the ninth when he reached on a three-base outfield error to start the ninth and scored on Gerlis Rodriguez's RBI single, but the Spikes could do no more damage before game's end.
Adalberto Santos delivered two hits for the Spikes, the only State College player to do so. Santos is now 10-for-20 at the plate over his last six games, and has reached base at a .600 clip over his last seven.
Cumpton took his first professional loss after allowing five hits and two walks over 2 2/3 innings. Kevin Decker also went 2 2/3 innings in relief, but was unable to notch his eighth win of the year, which would have tied him for second in the New York-Penn League.
Muckdogs left-hander John Gast (6-0) started and pitched six one-run innings to stay unbeaten. Gast allowed four hits and four walks, doubling his total of bases on balls issued this season. The southpaw also struck out four, but allowed his first home run when White went deep off of him.
Today, the Spikes and Muckdogs finish off their three-game set at Dwyer Stadium, and their five-game stretch against each other, with a 7:05 p.m. matchup.
State College will go with left-hander Colton Cain (1-1) on the mound to face Batavia right-hander Nick McCully (3-2).
