JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — The State College Spikes split a doubleheader with the Jamestown Jammers on Thursday.
Walker Gourley compiled three hits for the Spikes (32- 38), including an RBI triple to provide an insurance run in a 4-2 Game 1 victory, and the Spikes dropped the nightcap 2-1 at Russell Diethrick Park.
State College jumped out to an early lead in the first game, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. After Gourley led off with a walk, he moved to second on a groundout. Jacob Stallings then drew the first of his three bases on balls, and both runners scored when Jesus Vasquez’s single to left-center field was flubbed by Jamestown left fielder Michael Main.
After the Jammers (30-39) responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning on Sharif Othman’s RBI double, Jared Lakind extended the Spikes’ lead by with a runscoring double in the second inning, making the score 3-1.
Jamestown threatened to tie it in the fifth inning. Yeison Hernandez tripled to lead off the frame and scored on a sacrifice fly by Juancito Martinez. Kolby Copeland tripled with two outs, and an ensuing walk spelled the end for State College starter Luis Heredia. Reliever Josh Smith (2-1) would come on and end the inning with a strikeout.
Gourley’s triple in the seventh gave State College a two-run advantage once again, and Kyle Haynes pitched a one-hit, scoreless seventh inning with one strikeout to earn his seventh save of the season.
In Game 2, the Spikes stranded five runners on base through the first three innings, and Jamestown plated its only runs the third on a Viosergy Rosa runscoring single and an RBI groundout by Michael Vaughn.
Lakind scored a run in the fifth inning for the Spikes on a wild pitch, but State College could not string together enough offense in the late innings to charge back.
The Spikes finished with five hits in the second game.
Smith got the win for the Spikes in Game 1 with 11/ 3 scoreless innings in which
he yielded one hit and struck out two. Heredia went 42/ 3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and
three walks while striking out two.
Dalton Friend (3-2) took the loss for State College in the nightcap, despite yielding just two unearned runs on one hit and three walks. Friend also struck out a career-high five over his 41/ 3 innings.
The Spikes and Jammers are back to single-game action tonight with a 7:05 p.m. matchup. State College will send right-hander Clay Holmes (5-3) to the mound. In his last outing, Holmes was one of three pitchers to combine on a 5-0 shutout win over the Jammers on Saturday. The 19-year-old will also look to atone for his last appearance on the mound at Diethrick Park, in which he went a career-short 11/ 3 innings and walked five batters.
Jamestown’s starter was not announced.
