Auburn sweeps State College Spikes in three-game series

The State College Spikes dropped their third straight game Monday — their sixth loss in the last seven contests — by a score of 6-1 against the Auburn Doubledays at Falcon Park in Auburn, N.Y.

The Spikes trailed 2-1 heading into the eighth inning when Auburn exploded for four runs to put the game away.

Johan Oviedo was tagged with the loss, but he pitched well in 7  1/3 innings of work. He scattered just six hits, struck out five and walked four. And, when he left the game, the Spikes still trailed just 2-1 with one out and two men on base.

When reliever Anthony Ciavarella came in the game, however, he allowed a bases-clearing double on his first pitch and then watched another run score two pitches after that — when Nic Perkins singled and then reached second on an error by State College.

With the loss, the Spikes are now just one game over .500 at 30-29, while the Doubledays improve to 24-33.

Players of the game

Auburn first baseman Jake Scudder and starting pitcher Yonathan Ramirez: It’s nearly impossible to separate these two. Scudder was the only player, on either team, to register two hits — and both proved critical. He produced exactly half of his team’s six RBIs and also scored a run. Ramirez kept State College off the scoreboard by allowing just one run over six innings. During that span, he struck out four and allowed no walks.

Ejections

Pair of Spikes: Both State College manager Joe Kruzel and center fielder Scott Hurst were ejected by first base umpire Ben Rosen in the bottom of the first inning, Ricardo Bautista replaced Hurst and finished 1 for 3.

NYPL Player of the Week

State College outfielder Scott Hurst: He may have been ejected in the first inning Monday evening but, earlier Monday, Hurst discovered he was named the New York-Penn League’s Player of the Week for the week of Aug. 14-20. He had four multi-hit games during that time period and became the second player in franchise history with back-to-back four-hit games. His 15th-inning homer Friday also won the Spikes that game.

Up next

West Virginia Black Bears at State College Spikes, 7:05 p.m. Tuesday: West Virginia’s Gavin Wallace (2-2, 2.44 ERA) will take on the Spikes’ Jonathon Mulford (2-5, 4.62 ERA) at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Tuesday is also “Villain Night.”

This story was originally published August 21, 2017 at 11:18 PM with the headline "Auburn sweeps State College Spikes in three-game series."