UNIVERSITY PARK – The State College Spikes celebrated a special sesquicentennial of their home township on Saturday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park with College Township Night celebrating the township’s 150th Anniversary during the Spikes’ 3-1 loss to the Trenton Thunder.

The 150th Anniversary Celebration of College Township began with the first 150 fans through the gates able to head down to the field after the game for FIREWORKS From the Field. In addition, College Township Trivia throughout the night awarded prizes and spotlighted the Spikes’ home for fans from across Happy Valley, and fans were able to score College Township T-Shirts as well as free hot dogs and ice cream to enhance the festivities.

After the game, the skies lit up with a fantastic FIREWORKS show presented by College Township and provided by Starfire Corporation.

In game action, the Spikes (11-12 2nd Half) collected 12 hits, but could only muster one run on Chenar Brown’s ground-rule double to right field that scored Conor Higgs in the fifth. State College stranded ten runners, five of them in scoring position, and saw two runners thrown out on the basepaths by Trenton (10-13 2nd Half) left fielder Cameron Yuran.

Higgs and T.J. Salvaggio collected three hits apiece to lead the Spikes’ offensive attack. Salvaggio, who was hitting just .179 on July 28, has now raised his average nearly 100 points over the last 12 days to .277, with a trio of three-hit games propelling his ascent.

Spikes starter Carter Holjes (1-1) took his first loss of the season after allowing three runs, two of them earned, on five hits and two hit batsmen over four innings. Holjes struck out six batters in his second start for State College.

Trenton starter Luis Misla (1-1) yielded one run on eight hits and two walks while striking out eight batters over five innings for the win. After Dosie Drakeford went two scoreless innings following Misla, J.J. Almeda (2) picked up the save with two shutout frames to finish the game.