STATE COLLEGE - The State College Spikes ended the 2012 season in style as Luis Heredia allowed just two hits and a walk over five innings and the Spikes shut out the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, 5-0, in front of 4,607 fans at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on Wednesday night.
Heredia (4-2), making his final start in a State College (35-41) uniform, gave up a walk to Logan Vick in the second inning, a single to Dorssys Paulino in the fourth, and a double to Jeremy Lucas in the fifth, but retired each of the other 15 batters he faced. The 18-year-old right-hander struck out five batters in the game, setting a new career-high mark for strikeouts in a single game.
The Spikes' offense bolstered Heredia with a strong offensive effort, which got rolling in the second inning. Samuel Gonzalez led off the frame with a single and then went to second on Dilson Herrera's bunt single. Jesus Vasquez followed with the first of two doubles to plate the game's opening run. Eric Wood then brought in another run with a sacrifice fly to left field to give State College a two-run lead.
In the fourth inning, the Spikes built onto their lead when Vasquez and Wood delivered back-to-back two-base hits to make the score 3-0. Walker Gourley's leadoff double in the fifth inning led to another State College run on Chris Diaz's RBI single, with Gourley's third double of the game scoring the final Spikes marker in the sixth inning.
Gourley finished the night 3-for-4 with a run scored and a run batted in to go with his trio of two-baggers. Vasquez went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and one knocked in, along with a walk and his two doubles.
Kevin Kleis hurled two three-hit innings in the sixth and seventh, striking out three to continue the shutout. Bryton Trepagnier and John Kuchno then added a scoreless frame apiece, with Kuchno striking out one, to seal State College's seventh shutout victory of the year.
Luis Morel (2-6) started and took the loss for Mahoning Valley (30-45) after yielding four runs on nine hits and striking out five.
Paulino and Lucas were the lone Scrappers with multiple hits in the game.
The Spikes finished the 2012 season 19-18 at home. Diaz and Gourley each finished the year tied for the New York-Penn League lead in sacrifice bunts with nine apiece.
