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Spikes’ bats held silent in Auburn

AUBURN, N.Y. — Johan Oviedo went a career-long 7 1/3 innings on the mound, but the State College Spikes were eclipsed by the Auburn Doubledays, 6-1, on Monday night at Falcon Park.

Oviedo (1-2) yielded just two runs before leaving the mound in the eighth, but was charged with four runs on six hits and four walks while striking out five batters. The 19-year-old Cuban right-hander has now gone seven innings or more in each of his last two starts after not reaching the seventh in any of his first four outings for State College (30-29).

The Spikes took the opening lead when Scott Hurst, who was named New York-Penn League Player of the Week for August 14-20 earlier in the day, tripled in the first and scored on Yariel Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly. Hurst finished the series 9-for-10 at the plate with a walk.

Auburn (24-33) tied it up in the bottom of the first when Jake Scudder singled in a run. The Doubledays then took the lead when Austin Guibor doubled in Armond Upshaw in the fifth, and tacked on four runs in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach.

Doubledays starter Yonathan Ramirez (4-3) earned the win after allowing one run on four hits over six innings of work. Ramirez also struck out four batters.

Reliever Gabe Klobosits (5) allowed one walk and struck out one batters in recording a six-out save.

Hurst and Spikes manager Joe Kruzel were each ejected in the first inning after an apparent running catch made by Hurst in right-center field was ruled not to have occurred.

The loss enabled Auburn to claim a sweep of the three-game set, marking the first time the Spikes have been swept in a series this season.

Tuesday, the Spikes return home to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park to start a six-game homestand with the opener of a three-game series against the West Virginia Black Bears (Pittsburgh Pirates). The 7:05 p.m. matchup will feature right-hander Jonathon Mulford (2-5) on the mound for State College, while West Virginia will send right-hander Gavin Wallace (2-2) to the hill.

The Spikes will enter the three-game series four games back of the first-place Black Bears in the NYPL Pinckney Division standings with 17 games remaining in the regular season. State College is now 3 1/2 games back of Hudson Valley for the NYPL Wild Card lead as well.

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