State College Spikes capitalize off 3-error inning, defeat Mahoning Valley

Saturday didn’t prove to be the cleanest game, or the most well-pitched, but the State College Spikes should still be just fine with the result — a 9-7 victory over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers at Eastwood Field.

Mahoning Valley committed three errors, all in the same inning, as the teams combined for 16 runs, 28 hits and five errors. Literally every player in the starting lineups for both teams wound up with a hit.

State College’s Johan Oviedo allowed seven runs over 4  2/3 innings, but the bullpen fared well in the final four frames. They combined to allow no runs and three hits while striking out nine and walking three.

With the win, the Spikes improve 25-20 while the Scrappers fall to 26-18.　

Player of the game

State College first baseman Yariel Gonzalez: Sometimes, stats don’t tell the full story. But they do in this case: Gonzalez was 4 of 5 with three RBIs and three runs. No one on either team had more runs, hits or RBIs. Teammate Bryce Denton also had four hits, but he had two RBIs and no runs. Gonzalez was clutch.

Turning point

Spikes capitalize off Scrappers’ miscues in 7th: State College entered the seventh inning with a 7-5 deficit — but turned the game around thanks to a surprising lack of focus by Mahoning Valley. The Scrappers committed three errors, and State College wound up with five singles to drive in four runs and take the 9-7 lead.

Solid bullpen

Final 4  1/3 innings: The Spikes used three relievers — Will Latcham, Robbie Gordon and Spencer Trayner — and they helped guide their team to victory. Latcham allowed just three hits over 2  1/3 innings, while Gordon and Trayner didn’t allow a single hit in the final two frames. Latcham had five strikeouts, compared to Gordon’s three and Trayner’s one. It was hard to ask much more of the bullpen; Latcham had the win and Trayner the save.

Up next

State College at Mahoning Valley, 4:05 p.m. Sunday: The Spikes’ Jonathon Mulford (2-3, 4.23 ERA) will square off against the Scrappers’ Gregori Vasquez (2-2, 2.72 ERA). This is the 22-year-old Mulford’s second year in the minors, while Vasquez is on his third season despite being just 19 years old.

This story was originally published August 5, 2017 at 10:42 PM with the headline "State College Spikes capitalize off 3-error inning, defeat Mahoning Valley."