Power boost

Longballs help get Spikes back to .500

UNIVERSITY PARK — The State College Spikes can hit the long ball. They can hit it at the right time, too. Evan Chambers led of the bottom of the eighth with a homer as the Spikes continued a July 4th tradition by defeating the Williamsport Crosscutters 5-4 before 4,542 fans Saturday at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

CDT photo/Craig Houtz

State College’s Tyler Cox gave up two runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings of work on Saturday as the Spikes improved to 8-8 with a 5-4 win over Williamsport.

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Brock Holt also hit a solo homer in the fifth for the Spikes, who improved to 4-0 all-time in July 4th games at Medlar Field.

The blasts, both to right field, were not accompanied by the usual after-homer fireworks. The big booms were saved for later in the day.

But they helped the Spikes (8-8) win their third straight game to improve to .500 more than two games into a season for the first time since Aug. 23, 2007.

We should be at .500,” said Chambers, a third-round draft pick from Hillsborough (Fla.) Community College. “People are jelling and we have a lot of talented guys.

Some of those talented players, including Chambers and Holt, weren't in uniform when the Spikes met the Crosscutters (9-7) last month.

Chambers, Holt and first baseman Aaron Baker, three players selected in the first 11 rounds, didn’t immediately sign after the draft, thus missing the season-opening series against Williamsport from June 19-21.

Holt, a ninth-round pick from Rice, played his first game June 22 at Mahoning Valley and Chambers and Baker made their professional debuts last week.

The trio has already provided the Spikes something it lacked early in the season — power. Saturday’s two homers equaled the total the team accumulated in its first 15 games. Holt’s two-run homer off starter Siulman LeBron was his second as a professional.

Chambers also doubled and scored on Kyle Morgan’s two-out single in the sixth. All three of Chambers’ professional hits have gone for extra bases.

Baker, an 11th-round pick from Oklahoma, who has three extra-base hits in five games, didn’t record a hit Saturday, but he scored in the second after coaxing a leadoff walk from LeBron. Chambers, Holt and Baker scored four of the Spikes’ five runs.

“Those are great additions to our ballclub,” said Morgan, who went 2-for-4 and scored the other run.

The trio already has displayed a penchant for taking quality at-bats. Chambers (four walks-to-three strikeouts), Holt (seven-to-nine) and Baker (four-to-four) seem agreeable to working counts.

Manager Gary Robinson called Chambers’ at-bat during the eighth “absolutely incredible.”

Esmelvin Jimenez replaced LeBron to begin the inning and forced Chambers to miss two of his first three offerings. But Chambers stayed away from two pitches outside the strike zone, working the count to 3-2. He then drove a fastball that carried over the right-field wall. Williamsport right fielder Leandro Castro climbed the wall as the ball sailed over it.

Chambers had never faced LeBron, Jimenez or any other Crosscutter until Saturday.

“I did all the fundamental things right,” Chambers said. “I stayed short to the ball and it worked out.”

College numbers suggest Chambers, Holt and Baker could homer frequently this summer.

Chambers homered 11 times in 49 games at Hillsborough. Holt and Baker belted 12 and 11 homers, respectively, during their final college seasons.

Timely hits have helped the Spikes record three straight wins for the first time this season. They started the streak Thursday by defeating Auburn 4-3 on David Rubinstein’s two-out single in the ninth that scored Chambers.

On Friday, they won 11-3 and hit four two-hit doubles in the eighth to pad their lead. On Saturday, they scored runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to help a pitching staff that surrendered three leads.

With the Spikes holding a 2-0 lead and one out in the fifth, Tyler Cox reached his pitch count and Alan Knotts entered the game with two runners on base. Both runners scored as Jeremy Barnes singled to left field, Sebastian Valle hit a sacrifice fly and Adam Buschini hit an infield single that third baseman Pat Irvine lost in the sun.

Holt’s homer in the bottom of the inning gave the Spikes a 3-2 lead. But Francisco Murillo tripled and scored on Carl Uhl’s groundout to tie the game in the top of the sixth.

Chambers doubled and scored in the bottom of the sixth. But Victor Black walked Murillo with one out in the eighth and pinch-runner Stephen Batts scored on Jiwan James’ single to center field.

“It’s huge for our pitchers, knowing that even if we give up a couple of runs, we can comeback, Knotts said.

Morgan said the hitters are glad to reciprocate for a staff with a 3.42 team ERA.

“Obviously, spirits are really high right now,” Morgan said. “It’s a good feeling to have an offense come through and pick up our pitchers. They have been really digging us out of some holes and it’s nice that the offense can pick up the favor.