Hernandez, Spikes clip Scrappers, 7-6
UNIVERSITY PARK – Javon Hernandez went 4-for-4 and reached base five times before Harrison Didawick followed his Citi Field heroics on Monday by scoring the winning run on a wild pitch in the ninth to give the State College Spikes a 7-6 win over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on Tuesday night.
One day after smashing a two-run homer in the fourth inning to help propel the MLB Draft League squad to a 10-6 win over a team of standouts from the Cape Cod League at the home of the New York Mets, Didawick followed Hernandez’s leadoff single in the ninth with an infield single of his own. Ryan Rivera then singled to left to load the bases and clinch his fourth straight multi-hit game before Didawick dashed home two batters later.
The Spikes (9-10) overcame a 4-1 deficit with a five-run sixth to take the lead, with Camden Ross’s two-out, two-run single the biggest hit of the frame. Mahoning Valley (10-10) fought back to tie the game thanks to former Spike Chase Heath’s solo homer in the seventh, his second with the Scrappers, and a Ty Powell sacrifice fly in the eighth.
Reliever Jason Shockley (1-1) earned the win for the Spikes with 1 1/3 scoreless innings in which he struck out one batter. August Souza (0-1) took the loss in his debut with the Scrappers.