GRANVILLE, W.Va. – Down 4-0 entering the sixth inning, the State College Spikes rallied to tie the game with four two-out runs before the West Virginia Black Bears walked off with a 5-4 win thanks to Jace Rinehart’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth on Friday night at Kendrick Family Ballpark.

Manny Jackson got the Spikes’ (7-8 2nd Half) surge going with a two-out RBI single in the sixth to bring inChenar Brown. State College made its biggest leap in the seventh, starting with Trotter Boston’s groundout for the second out to bring in pinch-runner Jakobi Davis. Brown then knocked in T.J. Salvaggio with a single to right field before taking second base for his second steal of the game, then scoring on Adonis Forte’s two-out hit to right.

However, in the ninth, Judah Morris led off for West Virginia (10-4 2nd Half) by getting hit with a pitch. After Alex Rodgers pinch-ran for him and advanced to third on an Alex Ungar single before a groundout back to the pitcher, Rinehart lofted a ball to center to bring in the winning run.

Spikes starter Carston Herman began the game with another unique achievement. One outing after nearly throwing an immaculate inning before a flyout on the ninth pitch, Herman struck out four batters in the first inning on Friday. The left-hander followed first-half Spike Ethan Storm in accomplishing the rare feat, retiring DJ Smiley to finish his four-strikeout frame.

Alex Ungar hit his third homer of the year for West Virginia, a two-run shot to the Spikes bullpen in left field, in the third before scoring on a straight steal of home in the fifth.

Spikes reliever Jason Shockley (1-2) took the loss after pitching the ninth.

Black Bears starter Solomon Washington allowed just one run on four hits and a walk while striking out a season high nine batters over six innings. Reliever Cameron LeJeune (2-0) went two scoreless innings for the win.