Everyone hits — literally — in State College Spikes’ win over West Virginia
Every State College batter got a hit Thursday as the Spikes overpowered West Virginia 7-2 at Monongalia County Ballpark.
State College’s nine batters totaled 10 hits — outfielder Scott Hurst was the outlier with two hits — as it batted around in the sixth inning and rode that frame to victory. It scored six runs then to take the the lead and never look back.
With the win, the Spikes improve to 24-19 while the Black Bears fall to 25-18.
Players of the game
State College pitchers Paul Balestrieri and Levi MaVorhis: The two combined to pitch all nine innings, scattering a combined nine hits while allowing just two runs and two walks. Balestrieri struck out five in 5 2/3 innings, while MaVorhis fanned two batters and allowed just a single hit over 3 1/3 innings.
Turning point
Two-out rally in the sixth: This wasn’t just the highlight of the game; this might’ve been one of the highlights of the season. The Spikes trailed 2-1 with two outs and two runners on base — when it absolutely exploded at the plate. State College strung together five straight hits — four singles and a double — to score six runs and take a 7-2 lead. Tyler Lancaster and Brandon Benson, the Nos. 7 and 9 batters, had two RBIs apiece in the frame.
Leading the league
Best at the plate: The State College Spikes are currently batting .263 as a team, which is tops in the New York-Penn League — slightly better than the Aberdeen IronBirds, which are second with .260. The Spikes also lead in on-base percentage (.346).
Up next
State College Spikes at West Virginia Black Bears, 7:05 p.m. Friday: The Spikes’ Daniel Castano (7-1, 2.24 ERA) will take on West Virginia’s Ike Schlabach (3-3, 2.38 ERA) in the fourth game of State College’s road series. The Spikes won’t return home until Tuesday, after a three-game road trip to Mahoning Valley.
This story was originally published August 3, 2017 at 11:11 PM with the headline "Everyone hits — literally — in State College Spikes’ win over West Virginia."