tool name
closeWILLIAMSPORT — A haunted event called “Terror at Bowman” is coming to the Williamsport Crosscutters’ venerable home next month.
The State College Spikes started the terror a month early.
Bowman Field, the setting of numerous haunted nights for New York-Penn League teams, has turned into the scene for some of the Spikes’ best 2009 work.
The shrieks continued Thursday as the Spikes defeated the Crosscutters 8-1 to improve to 4-1 in Williamsport.
Screams of encouragement proved minimal as Brent Klinger and Mike Felix no-hit the Crosscutters for the first 61/ 3 innings. The no-hit bid ended when Leandro Castro
doubled to left field off Felix.
The Spikes scared away many of the 1,995 fans before Castro’s double.
Klinger and Felix held the Crosscutters, who lost catching prospect Sebastian Valle to full-season Lakewood, to three baserunners through six and Castro scored the only run on Darin Ruf’s double. Ricardo Paulino ended the game by pitching two scoreless innings. The trio held Williamsport to four hits.
“We pitched great,” manager Gary Robinson said. “I’m real happy with the way they played. Pitching set the tone. We just had a standup job by all three guys.”
The offense needed one inning to provide the necessary run support. One night after scoring seven first-inning runs, the Spikes opened the game with two runs on Justin Byler’s double to right field.
Quick starts are the norm here.
These Spikes have scored 12 first-inning runs at Bowman Field. They also have outscored their past four opponents 20-6. They are 3-1 during the stretch, winning the past three games by a combined 27-7.
“Being able to score multiple runs in the first inning is huge,” said shortstop Brock Holt, who walked and scored in the first.
“It gives the pitchers run support and kind of gives everyone a little bit of confidence starting things out.”
Trips to Williamsport are cozy jaunts.
The bus leaves Medlar Field at Lubrano Park at 2:30 p.m., and the team arrives here about 1 hour, 15 minutes later. Players hit in the outdoor batting cages, stretch and take on-field batting practices, which ends 50 minutes before the game.
“It’s definitely easier on us because we get to sleep in our own beds for the summer,” Holt said. “We are on the road, but it’s only an hour away, so it’s kind of like we are at home, too.”
State College pitchers also appear comfortable at the spacious ballpark, where the right-and left-field corners are 350 and 345 feet. Their one — and only — day of terror here came during an 8-1 loss July 6.
“I just think we have pitched well here,” Robinson said. “That makes a huge difference.”
Klinger’s outing was his first under the lights this season. After making two late-season appearances for the Spikes in 2008, Klinger spent most of this summer at rookie Bradenton. He rejoined the Spikes again this past Monday in Batavia
Three days later, he walked two in three hitless innings. The Spikes followed both walks with double plays.
Klinger, who went 0-1 with a 3.28 ERA in 352/ 3 innings at Bradenton,
received help from the shriek-inducing offense. The Spikes started the series with a 12-6 victory Wednesday.
“I was just trying to throw strikes and get in the dugout fast,” Klinger said. “After (Wednesday) when we scored a lot of runs, I wanted to continue them on their streak. I didn’t want to slow the momentum down.”
Felix didn’t stall the momentum, allowing two hits in four innings.
Felix and Byler called Bowman Field home when they played for the 2006 Crosscutters. The Pittsburgh Pirates moved their NY-PL affiliate from Williamsport to State College after that season.
Both players had a part in eliminating the Crosscutters from NY-PL playoff contention. Williamsport’s shot at returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2005 ended earlier this week.
Staten Island, which has won a franchise-record 13 straight, Brooklyn, Lowell and Mahoning Valley will comprise the four-team field. The Spikes (37-36), who play three more games, can still overtake Williamsport (39-34) for second place in the Pinckney Division.
“I wish we had a couple more weeks because everybody is hot and swinging the bat good,” right fielder David Rubinstein said.
One of the reasons for the Spikes’ offensive success missed Thursday’s game as hitting coach Brandon Moore remained in State College because of an illness. Four of the Spikes’ eight hits were doubles. The first five batters — Holt, Evan Chambers, Byler, Aaron Baker and Rubinstein — compiled all eight hits. Holt, Chambers and Rubinstein had two each.
“I think B-Mo would have enjoyed it had he been here,” said Holt, who went 2 for 3 and walked twice to raise his batting average to .298.
In Print
@Nyx.CommentBody@