State College Spikes stumble on road against West Virginia Black Bears

The State College Spikes dropped their second straight game and fell out of a first-place tie in their division with an 8-2 loss to the West Virginia Black Bears on Thursday.

Bligh Madris was 4 for 4 with a pair of homers for the Black Bears to lead an 11-hit attack at Monongalia County Ballpark. Jared Olivia added a 3-for-5 day at the plate, including a triple.

Josh Lopez was 3 for 4 to pace the Spikes and Brandon Benson hit a solo home run in the third inning and doubled in another run in the seventh to account for the team’s scoring. Evan Mendoza also hit a double.

Scott Hurst was 0 for 4 to end his hit streak at 11 games as the Spikes (17-13) fell a game behind the Black Bears (18-12) in the New York-Penn League’s Pinckney Division.

Yoandy Fernandez (4-0) pitched four innings of relief, striking out seven and allowing four hits, a walk and a run for the win.

Player of the Game

Madris, the West Virginia right fielder, hit solo home runs in the third and seventh innings and also scored three times as part of his 4-for-4 day.

1 bad inning

The Bears scored five runs in the first inning to take command. Deon Stafford Jr. had an RBI single, Jose Barraza drew a bases-loaded walk, Robbie Glendinning hit a two-run single and Sandy Santos plated another run with a single off starter and loser Jonathan Mulford (1-3). He surrendered nine hits, six runs, with only two earned, and three walks while striking out four. The Spikes were hurt by an error by shortstop Wood Myers with two out.

Departure

Pitcher Colton Thompson was promoted to High-A Peoria on Thursday. The left-handed pitcher made eight relief appearances with the Spikes, striking out 20, walking three and allowing 12 hits, five runs and three earned runs over 11 innings with a 2.45 ERA. The change leaves three left-handed pitchers on the State College roster.

Up next

State College at West Virginia, 7:05 p.m. Thursday: The Spikes will send left-hander Andrew Summerville (1-0, 1.86 ERA) to the mound against Black Bears righty Gavin Wallace (0-2, 4.91) in the second game of the series.

This story was originally published July 20, 2017 at 11:49 PM with the headline "State College Spikes stumble on road against West Virginia Black Bears."