Spikes hitters mum again in loss to Auburn

By Guy Cipriano

UNIVERSITY PARK — Anybody who wants to see the State College Spikes score should arrive at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park early.

Craig Houtz

State College Spikes manager Gary Robinson (45) hands the ball to reliever Brandon Holden against the Auburn Doubledays in the 2nd inning on Wednesday, July 1, 2009. Starter Nelson Pereira was pulled in the 2nd inning after giving up two runs on no hits.

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Another night of futile middle-and late-inning offense yielded another loss as the Spikes fell to the Auburn Doubledays 6-1 Wednesday.

The fading offense has become a point of multiple team discussions — and for good reason.

The offense has produced eight hits after the fourth inning through four games of a seven-game homestand. The Spikes, who are 1-5 at Medlar Field, recorded four singles after Wednesday’s fourth inning, but scored their only run in the second.

“I think we were flat,” manager Gary Robinson said. “I don’t know why we were flat. I have been very satisfied until tonight with the intensity, the attitude and the urgency our guys have played with.”

After the game, position players met with hitting coach Brandon Moore while Robinson spoke with the pitchers. The team’s batting average has plummeted to .209 since returning home Sunday.

“It doesn’t have a thing to do with the future potential of the players,” Robinson said. “It has to do with mentality and what they are thinking and how they approach what they are doing.

“I can assure you that there’s not a better hitting coach in professional baseball than the person that we have. He’s very, very good. We do prep our players before every at-bat. Just like pitching there’s an execution factor, too. “

Auburn pitchers Scott Gracey and Josh Wells executed well enough to thwart the Spikes’ rallies.

Aaron Baker and David Rubinstein hit consecutive two-out singles in the sixth. But Gracey ended his night by striking out Pat Irvine on three pitches.

Baker also hit a leadoff single in the ninth. Edward Garcia added a two-out infield single during the inning before the game ended with Miguel Mendez lining a ball off Wells’ left foot. Wells calmly picked up the ball and tossed it to first baseman Lance Durham for the final out.