Pitching helps end Spikes skid

From CDT staff reports

BATAVIA, N.Y. — The State College Spikes ended a three-game losing streak by playing one of their best games.

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Four pitchers, including three 2009 draft picks, combined to allow four hits as the Spikes defeated Batavia 7-0 Tuesday at Dwyer Stadium. The Spikes (35-36) also excelled in the other two phases, recording their seven runs on seven hits while playing error-free defense.

Jeff Inman, a 12th-round pick making his professional debut, started and allowed two hits in two scoreless innings. The appearance was Inman’s first since his junior season at Stanford this past spring.

Jason Erickson, a 24th-round pick from Washington, replaced Inman and earned the win, allowing one hit and striking out three in four innings. Erickson, who lowered his ERA to 2.39, has allowed four earned runs in his past seven outings.

Nathan Baker, a fifth-round pick from Mississippi, replaced Erickson and allowed one hit and one run in two innings to lower his ERA to 1.69. Mike Wiliams ended the game pitching a scoreless ninth.

Catcher Craig Parry and second baseman Brock Holt were responsible for most of the offense. Parry went 2 for 4 with two doubles and three RBIs. Holt went 3 for 4 with two RBIs to raise his batting average to a team-high .292.

The Spikes took a 2-0 lead when Holt and Evan Chambers scored on shortstop Ryan Jackson’s fielding error in the first. Parry hit an RBI double and scored on a Holt single to increase the lead to 4-0 in the second. The Spikes scored their final three runs, including two on Parry’s double to center field, in the sixth.

Philipsburg-Osceola graduate Matt Adams went 1 for 3 with a single in the seventh for Batavia.

The game marked the final 2009 meeting between the Spikes and Muckdogs (36-35). State College won the season series 6-4. The Spikes’ open a three-game series tonight at Williamsport.

NOTE: The Pittsburgh Pirates sent reliever Alan Knotts from State College to full-season West Virginia and promoted pitchers Diomedes Garcia and Brent Klinger from rookie Bradenton to the Spikes. Garcia went 1-0 with a 1.95 ERA while Klinger finished the Gulf Coast League season with 36 strikeouts in 352/ 3 innings. The GCL Pirates ended their season Monday.