TRENTON, N.J. – Javon Hernandez drew a bases-loaded walk in the MLB Draft League Overtime Tiebreaker on Saturday night to plate the winning run and give the State College Spikes sole possession of first place as they defeated the Trenton Thunder following a 3-3 regulation tie at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.

The Spikes (13-10), who have now won five straight games and eight of their last ten, came back from a 3-1 deficit in the seventh. Hernandez brought in a run in that inning with a fielder’s choice, then scored the tying run by taking home on a delayed double steal.

In the MLB Draft League Overtime Tiebreaker, the Thunder (14-12) chose defense as the home team and brought J.J. Almeda back out for a second inning on the mound. Almeda had escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam without allowing a run in the ninth to help send the game to the extra frame.

However, pinch-runner Cole Pladson went from first base, where he began the inning, to second on an obstruction call during an attempted steal, then took third on a Matt Evans groundout. After intentional walks to Caden Shapiro and Merik Carter loaded the bases again, Hernandez took a 3-2 pitch down and in for ball four to bring in Pladson with the winning run.

The victory put the Spikes a half-game ahead of the Thunder for first place with six games remaining in the league’s first-half schedule, which concludes next Saturday, July 12. The first-half champion not only punches a ticket to the MLB Draft League Championship Game, scheduled for Thursday, September 4, but also earns the right to host the title game.

Ryan Rivera reached base five times to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, the longest current streak in the MLB Draft League and his on-base streak to 15 games. Rivera, who was hitting .200 on June 24, went 2-for-2 with two doubles and three walks to raise his batting average to .348, good for the second-best mark in the MLB Draft League behind the .362 of Tyler Cerny from West Virginia.

No winning or losing pitcher is named in a game that reaches the MLB Draft League Overtime Tiebreaker.