State College Spikes hold on in 9th to slip past Mahoning Valley
The State College Spikes overcame a bases-loaded situation in the final inning to edge out the Mahoning Valley Scrappers 3-2 on Tuesday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
With two outs and the bases loaded, Scrappers outfielder Hosea Nelson faced a 3-1 count — before Spikes reliever Will Latcham ended the game by tossing back-to-back swinging strikes.
With the win, State College improves to 19-15 and is 2.5 games out of first in the Pinckney Division. Mahoning Valley falls to 21-14 with the loss.
Player of the game
State College pitcher Sam Tewes: The 2016 eighth-round pick went 7 1/3 innings — his longest outing of the season — and allowed just six hits and one walk in that span. He also struck out five and allowed just two runs. Thanks to Tewes, the Spikes never fell behind Tuesday.
Saving the best for last
State College reliever Will Latcham: The Coastal Carolina product followed up Tewes’ strong start by striking out four in the final 1 2/3 innings. Latcham has made seven pitching appearances this season and has allowed just one run. He boasts a 0.83 ERA. In his last two appearances — in which he went a combined four innings — he’s thrown seven strikeouts.
Nice rebound
From Monday to Tuesday: The Spikes’ Yariel Gonzalez had a game to forget Monday, when he approached the plate with loaded bases and one out in the final inning — and hit into a double-play. But he made up for it Tuesday with two crucial plate appearances. Gonzalez had two of the Spikes’ three RBIs on Tuesday, driving in Joshua Lopez from second on a second-inning single and then producing a sacrifice fly in the seventh to hand the Spikes a 3-1 lead.
Up next
State College Spikes at Batavia Muckdogs, 7:05 p.m. Thursday: The Spikes will take a day off Wednesday before starting up a three-game series against Batavia, which is currently at the bottom of the league standings at 11-22. State College’s Jonathon Mulford (1-3, 4.61 ERA) will square off against a pitcher to be determined for the Muckdogs.
This story was originally published July 25, 2017 at 11:32 PM with the headline "State College Spikes hold on in 9th to slip past Mahoning Valley."