Benson leads State College Spikes to road victory

The State College Spikes used a five-run sixth inning to help race past the West Virginia Black Bears on Monday night at Monongalia County Ballpark.

Brandon Benson was 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs to lead the 13-hit attack, while Daniel Castano (8-3) struck out seven over six innings to earn the win. The strikeout total gives Castano 74 strikeouts on the season, breaking the franchise record of 68 set by Brad Furnish in 2006.

Castano allowed five hits, two walks and five runs over six innings as State College moved into a tie for second place in the New York-Penn League’s Pinckney Division, four games behind Mahoning Valley.

The Black Bears took an early lead on a two-run double by Bligh Madris and a two-run home run for Tristan Gray in the third. Madris also hit a solo homer in the fifth.

Player of the game

Brandon Benson: The Spikes rightfielder singled and scored in a two-run fifth, hit a two-run double and scored in the team’s big sixth inning and hit an RBI single in the seventh.

Big 6th inning

Nine Spikes batted and the first five had hits in the frame. J.D. Crowe plated the first run on a bases-loaded single, Benson added his two-run double, a wild pitch brought in another run and Benson scored on Yariel Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly.

League honors

Spikes pitcher Andrew Summerville was named New York-Penn League Pitcher of the Week on Monday. The left-hander, a 12th-round draft pick by the St. Louis Cardinals out of Stanford, struck out seven while allowing one hit and two walks in seven shutout winnings in a victory over Williamsport on Friday.

Up next

State College at West Virginia, 7:05 p.m. Tuesday: The teams resume the three-game series with Spikes right-hander Paul Balestrieri (3-3, 6.40 ERA) facing Bears righty Sergio Cubilete (3-6, 4.71).

This story was originally published August 28, 2017 at 10:51 PM with the headline "Benson leads State College Spikes to road victory."