Spikes score 6 in 6th to surpass Crosscutters

BOX SCORE/PLAY-BY-PLAY (via PitchAware)

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The State College Spikes overcame a sixth-inning deficit with a six-run surge to top the Williamsport Crosscutters, 9-6, on Tuesday night at Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field.

The game resulted from a rearrangement of the MLB Draft League schedule, with the Spikes (26-31-3) and Crosscutters (26-29-3) now set to finish the season against one another. State College will head to Williamsport for a 7:05 p.m. matchup Wednesday as well. The two teams will then come back to Happy Valley for their already scheduled 6:35 p.m. meetings on Thursday and Friday at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

The Spikes trailed 5-3 going into the sixth before a total of 11 batters stepped up to the plate to turn it into a 9-5 State College lead. Brian Morrell got the rally going with a leadoff double, then scored on an error. Harrison Engstrom, who reached on the error, then came in on Darryl Loyd III’s RBI groundout to tie the game.

Luke Seidel added on the go-ahead run with a double to bring in Cameron Lee following the latter’s walk and stolen base. After a walk to Zacchaeus Rasberry, Seidel scored from third on the same play as Rasberry’s stolen base. Morrell then played a part in bringing in the last two runs of the inning by reaching on errant fielding of a pop-up.

Mike Manetta went 3-for-5 in his second start in the field for the Spikes.

Jason Alvarez started for State College and struck out five batters while allowing five runs, three of them earned, on nine hits and a walk over 4 1/3 innings. Josh Culliver (2-2) then relieved in the middle of the fifth inning and picked up the win after throwing 1 2/3 innings without a run against him. Culliver gave up two hits and a walk but struck out three batters.

The Crosscutters took the loss despite four different players recording three hits apiece. Trey Steffler, Jaxon Shirley, Alec Burns and Dakota Kotowski accomplished the feat, with Burns and Kotowski driving in two runs each.

Williamsport reliever Will Lopez (0-1) took the loss after being charged with six runs, four of them earned, on two hits and three walks over 2/3 of an inning.

Starter Troy Taylor notched seven strikeouts over five innings for the Crosscutters, but did not factor in the decision.

The game was shortened to seven innings per a previous MLB Draft League decision in the interests of player safety that Tuesday and Wednesday games would be seven innings in length.

Following Wednesday’s road game at Williamsport, the Spikes will then come back home on Thursday to start the final homestand of the 2021 season with the opener of a two-game series against the Crosscutters. The 6:35 p.m. game will feature LuCKy’s Kia Lease Giveaway on Fan Appreciation Night presented by Lion Country Kia, where one “LuCKy” fan from the thousands of entries received throughout the season will drive away with a three-year lease on a brand new Kia.

Plus, it’s Bellefonte Community Night, celebrating the seat of Centre County and the home of seven governors, with a FREE Kids Zone! presented by Friends of Jake Corman. The Spikes will also welcome the Bellefonte Intervalley Area Chamber of Commerce out for an After Hours event at the ballpark during the game.

In addition, Thursday will feature the Centre County United Way Campaign Kickoff for 2022.

The fun also includes Thirsty Thursday, with $2 16-oz. select drafts and $3 16-oz. craft drafts available from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The 2021 season concludes on Friday with a 6:35 p.m. game featuring a FIREWORKS From the Field GRAND FINALE EXTRAVAGANZA presented by Starfire Corporation, the official FIREWORKS provider of the Spikes throughout the 2021 season. All fans are invited to come down onto the outfield grass for an unprecedented view of the enhanced and lengthened FIREWORKS show to take the season out with a bang.

Additionally, fans who were part of the historic, record crowd of 7,183 on July 4 can relive that spirit with a $4 ticket discount for each of the remaining home games. The $4 discount, which excludes seats in the Geisinger Champions Club and Pepsi Picnic Pavilion, can be claimed by presenting a digital or printed ticket from the Spikes’ Fourth of July game at the Spikes Ticket Office.

Tickets for both home games on Thursday and Friday are currently on sale through the Spikes Ticket Office. Tickets can be purchased by calling (814) 272-1711 or by visiting the Ticket Office in person from 9 a.m. to the end of the game on gamedays Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to the end of the game on gamedays Saturday and Sunday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on non-gamedays Monday through Friday.

Fans can also buy and download single-game tickets by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.

Catch all of the action on Thursday via the Spikes Radio Network, presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, Official Healthcare Provider of Penn State Athletics, starting with Spikes Live, presented by Mount Nittany Health, on the air from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The game can be viewed worldwide on the *MLB Draft League *streaming platform at MLBDraftLeague.com/streaming, along with the “Listen Live” link on StateCollegeSpikes.com and the *TuneIn Radio *app.