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Spikes earn finale win, clinch top seed

WILLIAMSPORT Although they punched their ticket for a spot in the playoffs a little more than a week ago, there was still a lot riding on the final regular season game for the State College Spikes Monday afternoon at Bowman Field.

If the Spikes were to defeat Williamsport they would enter the playoffs as the top seed for the postseason. However, on the other end of the spectrum, a loss would mean that the Spikes would have to enter the postseason as the No. 2 seed.

Jumping out to a quick 4-0 lead, the Spikes played solid defense and got good pitching to play steady baseball for the rest of the way as they doubled up on the Cutters 4-2 before 2,335 fans at the old ball park.

Some of the Spikes were “grinders” from square one and those who weren’t became “grinders” throughout the season. Rodriguez would have it no other way.

“They have been doing it (grinding) all year,” said Rodriguez. “It wasn’t always pretty but they found a way to get it done and that is what it is going to take to be successful in the playoffs.”

Wasting no time at all, the Spikes took control of the game when Danny Hudzina hit a long home run to left, allowing Ricardo Bautista and Elier Rodriguez to score the first and second runs of the game respectively ahead of him.

Bautista had worked Julian Garcia for a free pass and Rodriguez was safe on a Cutter error to set the table for Hudzina.

“It was a 2-0 count, I was sitting fastball and he gave it to me,” Hudzina said. “It was middle in, I was able to put a good swing on it, it felt good coming off the bat and it went out. It was also nice to jump out to the 3-0 lead in the second inning.”

The Spikes tacked on another run in the third and again it was the trio of Bautista, Rodriguez and Hudzina that took care of business.

Bautista reached on a strikeout, wild pitch and Rodriguez followed with a single to right. Hudzina, who drove in all four State College runs, picked up his fourth RBI of the game with an RBI double to left.

“I just got out of a little bit of a slump so this was a nice way for me to help the team out today,” Hudzina said. “To get those hits and knock some runs in to help the team out felt great.”

The Cutters cut the Spikes lead in half with a pair of runs in the third. Luis Espiritu walked and later scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Emmanuel Garcia. Chandler Hall, who had singled following Espiritu’s walk, scored when David Martinelli split the left-center gap for an RBI double.

However, that was all the noise the Cutters would make for the rest of the game as the combination of Greg Tomchick, Max Almonte and Spencer Trayner combined to slam the door shut on the Williamsport offense with six scoreless innings to finish the game. The trio showed 6 1/3 innings of work, allowing four hits and no runs while walking just one and striking out six.

With two of their best pitchers up at Peoria by getting an early season promotion, Rodriguez was faced with the task of many times “pitching by committee” and he was masterful at it.

“When they left we got (Jordan) Hicks, but he was an unknown as a young kid,” Rodriguez said. “As a coach I used to say, I hope we get somebody. That would be great. But the bottom line is the next man up and a lot of the guys did that. I think to be a winner you need to have that mentality. I told them that going into these last two games I wasn’t waiting for a long inning. Just like in the playoffs, If you don’t have it you are coming out. And for the relievers, I told them don’t feel offended if you only pitch to one batter because if I feel you don’t have it, you are coming out.”

If there is one area that the Spikes have been somewhat delinquent in it is missing signs and that is one thing that upsets Rodriguez.

“On the base hit to center field, twice I put on double steal on but they didn’t hear me,” Rodriguez explained. “If we are going to do well in the playoffs we can’t get away with doing those things.”

Having to mix and match his pitchers down the stretch, Rodriguez said it will be much the same in the playoffs.

“I am going to have to pitch by committee and mix and match,” Rodriguez said. “Whatever the situation is, I am going to match it up and hope that we do our best.”

Other than clinching the top seed heading into the playoffs, the win also gives the team momentum as it prepares for the drive for the championship.

“Mahoning Valley was hot and we went over to their place and beat them twice,” Rodriguez said. “That was good competition before the playoffs and it can only make you grind that much harder.”

The Spikes will begin their run at a possible New York-Penn title Thursday when they host Staten Island at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. First pitch for that game is set for 7:05 p.m.

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