WILLIAMSPORT — With one inning remaining in the New York- Penn League season, umpire Ryan Additon called the State College Spikes and Williamsport Crosscutters off Bowman Field.

A violent lightning storm ensued.

Rain drenched the field, washing away the Spikes’ opportunity to extend their late-season lightning.

The team’s sixth season ended where it started and the way it started as the Spikes fell to the Crosscutters 5-2 on Sunday at the quaint ballpark on historic West Fourth Street.

The Spikes would prefer 2011 is washed from the history books soon. They finished 31-44 to snag their second last place Pinckney Division finish in the past four years.

Still, the summer included some glimmers of promise. The Spikes had a season best four-game winning streak halted Sunday. The winning streak produced a 20-17 second-half record.

“The theme stayed the same the whole year — compete for nine, execute on offense, catch the ball and throw the ball over the plate,” Spikes manager Kimera Bartee said. “We did that more times than not in the second half. If we did that more in the first half, we might be sitting in a scenario where we might have to get this game in because it has playoff implications.”

Sloppy play prevented the Spikes from ending with a victory. The teams combined for 10 errors, one less than the game’s hit total. Through 31/ 2 innings, the game had already included eight errors.

“I don’t know what happened,” Spikes catcher Derek Trent said.

The Spikes had four errors, the same number as Williamsport shortstop Taylor Black. Some of State College’s gaffes came in other forms. Rodarrick Jones was picked off first and tagged out at second base in the first. Alen Hanson was picked off first by catcher Bob Stumpo in the third. The Spikes also hit into two double plays and their errors allowed Williamsport (43-33) to score two unearned runs.

The Crosscutters didn’t play much better. They committed six errors. Both of State College’s runs were unearned — on the same play.

Willy Garcia singled to right field with runner on and two outs in the fourth. Chaos ensued. Pete Lavin’s throw to third base trickled past Maikel Franco, allowing Dan Gamache to score. Pitcher Paul Cusick raced to the ball and his throw went past catcher Bob Stumpo and traveled into Bowman Field’s spacious right field.

“Both teams came out flat,” Spikes shortstop Kirk Singer said. “I don’t think we have any excuses. I think a lot of guys were lazy. It was a lot uglier than the score looked.”

The Spikes lineup Sunday looked nothing like the one they started the season with. Only four starters Sunday — pitcher Ryan Hafner, shortstop Kirk Singer,

right fielder Carlos Mesa and catcher Derek Trent — started the season with the Spikes. The other five starters joined the team in August. Three starters — Hanson, Jose Osuna and Gregory Polanco — joined the Spikes during the season’s final week after playing in the rookie Gulf Coast League.

“They came wanting to compete,” Bartee said. “The lineup pretty much featured all of our GCL guys. They were itching to get out there. I think the fact that they were all out there together gave them a little more comfort level. It definitely wasn’t just a let’s-get-through-it.”

The season had a sudden ending. The teams breezed through eight innings before clouds encircled Bowman Field around 3:15 p.m. Lightning was visible to the ballpark’s south, forcing Additon to call both teams off the field.

Rain pelted Route 15. A torrential downpour then hit Bowman Field. Some areas as close as 10 miles from the ballpark reported no rain during the 30-minute stretch that wiped away the game.

“It was pretty funny,” Gamache said. “I saw the looks on the umpires faces and I kind of knew they wanted to get out of there. It was funny. I had never seen that happen before.”

The Spikes gathered their equipment, showered and boarded a bus back to State College. The next stop for most players is the Pittsburgh Pirates’ fall instructional league in Bradenton, Fla., another place where afternoon showers are common.

Despite the abbreviated ending, the season taught players multiple lessons.

“It’s definitely a grind playing every day,” Trent said. “The biggest thing you learn is that you have to come ready to play every day and give 100 percent every day. That‘s the biggest thing I have learned.”