NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE

Spikes split twinbill

From CDT staff reports

BATAVIA, N.Y. — Former Philipsburg-Osceola High School standout Matt Adams cracked a pair of doubles and drove in a run to help Batavia salvage a split with the State College Spikes with a 4-1 win in the second game of a New-York Penn League baseball doubleheader on Monday.

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State College (32-31) won the opener 5-2 behind a strong effort from starter Tyler Cox, who improved to 8-2 on the season.

Adams’ RBI double in the sixth drove in the final run of the game and increased his season average to .360 since being called up recently to Batavia. Adams was 3-for-6 in the doubleheader.

The Muckdogs (32-31) scored three times in the third to take control of a scoreless game. Devin Goodwin’s two-run double was the big blow in the inning, while Kevin Conley added an RBI single.

Jesse Simpson, Justin Edwards (3-2) and Santo Maertz combined for a three-hitter in the seven-inning contest. Maertz struck out the side in the seventh for his third save.

The Spikes’ lone run came in the fourth as Justin Byler walked, moved to second on a wild pitch by Simpson and scored on Pat Irvine’s RBI single.

Victor Black (1-1) took the loss for the Spikes.

State College never trailed in the opener. Evan Chambers led off with a single and moved to second with one out after Byler was plunked by Batavia starter Justin Smith. Baker then chased both runners home with a two-run triple to right field. Baker was later cut down at the plate by Muckdogs center fielder Travis Mitchell on Irvine’s fly out.

Chambers singled and scored on Byler’s sacrifice fly in the third to push the margin to 3-0. Batavia sliced the margin in the bottom of the inning on Adams’ RBI single.

Adams’ hit accounted for the lone run against Cox (8-2), who allowed six hits and four walks, while striking out four in six innings. Reliever Marc Baca gave up a run on two hits in the seventh.

David Rubinstein singled, swiped second base and scored on a groundout in the sixth. Irvine singled in Chambers in the seventh.

Baker was a perfect 3-for-3 in the contest, while Chambers had two hits. The Spikes’ Andy Vasquez left the game after being hit by a pitch in the fourth.

The Spikes begin a three-game series at Jamestown tonight.