Spikes struggle in road loss to Scrappers
The State College Spikes’ modest two-game win streak came to an end Saturday night at Eastwood Field.
The Mahoning Valley Scrappers used two big innings to dispatch the Spikes 9-2, holding State College (3-3) to three hits.
Mahoning Valley scored four runs in the third inning, then locked up the win with a five-run fifth. The team poured on the offense with 15 hits. All but one starter had a hit and six registered multi-hit games in the fourth game of the season a Spikes opponent scored at least seven runs.
Edwin Figuera provided the lone State College highlight, belting a two-run home run in the third inning for a brief lead. It was the first homer for the 19-year-old in his minor league career.
All three of the Spikes’ hits were for extra bases, with Mick Fennell and Tyler Lancaster adding doubles.
Player of the game
Scrappers second baseman Samad Taylor: Taylor was 3 for 5 with an RBI double in the third inning and an RBI single in the fifth.
On the mound
Scrappers: Francisco Perez and Cesar Ventura combined to shut down the Spikes’ offense. Perez (1-0), a 19 year-old left-hander, struck out four while allowing the three hits and two runs in six innings. Ventura earned a three-inning save, allowing only a walk to the 10 batters he faced, striking out five of them.
Spikes: Sam Tewes (0-2) struggled through his second outing of the season, allowing a dozen hits and all nine runs — five of them earned. He struck out five and didn’t walk anyone in 4 2/3 innings.
At the plate
Scrappers highlights: In the third, Oscar Gonzalez also had an RBI double while Nolan Jones and Will Benson had RBI singles. In the fifth, Benson had another RBI single, Elvis Perez plated a run on a sacrifice fly and Clark Scolamiero notched a two-run single.
Next up
State College at Mahoning Valley, 4:05 p.m. Sunday: Left-hander Daniel Castano (1-0, 4.50 ERA), who allowed eight hits and three runs with six strikeouts in the Spikes’ second game of the season, will return to the mound. Grant Hockin (0-0, 2.25), a 2014 second-round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians, will pitch for the Scrappers. It will be State College’s first day game of the season.
This story was originally published June 24, 2017 at 11:17 PM with the headline "Spikes struggle in road loss to Scrappers."