LOWELL, Mass. - Samuel Gonzalez of the State College Spikes earned the MiLB.com Top Star Award in the 2011 New York-Penn League All-Star Game as both he and the Spikes' Wes Freeman played a pivotal role in carrying the National League All-Stars past the American League All-Stars, 7-3, at Edward LeLacheur Park in Lowell Tuesday.
After a scoreless first inning, Freeman led off the second for the National League squad with a base hit to right-center field off of Connecticut's Brennan Smith, which turned into a two-base hit thanks to his aggressive baserunning. The NL's starting left fielder then moved to third on a single by Tri-City's Matt Duffy and came home on a base hit by Auburn's Matt Skole to give the Senior Circuit affiliates a 1-0 lead.
Gonzalez then added to the damage, sending a ball sailing to the warning track in right-center field for a double that scored two more NL runs. The starting catcher then went to third on a groundout and scored himself on a sacrifice fly from Justin Gominsky of Tri-City to make it 4-0, National League.
The American League All-Stars struck back with two runs of in the third inning on a triple by Vermont's Chih-Fang Pan and an RBI groundout from Staten Island's Mason Williams. Williams had also made a diving catch in right-center field on Gominsky's sacrificie fly.
In the sixth inning, the AL put up another run on a single by Dean Green of Connecticut that scored Hudson Valley's Jeff Malm to make it a 4-3 game. However, the National League produced three more runs in the ninth inning, including two on a double by Daneil Muno of Brooklyn and another on a single by Auburn's Hendry Jimenez, to salt away the victory.
Spikes outfielder Carlos Mesa also was named to the NYPL All-Star Game, but was unable to play due to injury.
Tri-City left-hander Kyle Hallock started and earned the victory, retiring all three batters he faced in the first inning before the Spikes-led, second-inning charge. Smith took the loss for the American League after yielding all four NL runs on four hits in the second inning.
Mahoning Valley third baseman Jordan Smith was the only player in the game with multiple hits, going 2-for-2.
Gonzalez and Freeman head to Fishkill, N.Y., Wednesday for a 7:05 p.m. matchup against the Hudson Valley Renegades as the Spikes begin a six-game road trip.
