UNIVERSITY PARK -- The State College Spikes kept up their hot streak by taking two games from the Williamsport Crosscutters at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on Monday night. The Spikes held on for a 3-0 victory as they completed a game suspended by rain on Thursday, then scored their fifth walk-off win of the year for a 4-3 win in eight innings in the nightcap.
Brady Whalen knocked in the game-winning run in the concluding contest with a pinch-hit broken-bat single to left field that scored designated runner Stanley Espinal from second base in the first extra frame.
The Spikes (31-31) have now won 12 of their last 14 games, and sit at .500 for the first time since June 20. State College is also now just 3 1/2 games back of the New York-Penn League Wild Card lead, and four games back of the NYPL Pinckney Division lead with 14 games remaining.
State College overcame an early 2-0 deficit in the second game to explode for four runs in the fifth. Delvin Perez and Imeldo Diaz each produced RBI singles to tie the score, with Lars Nootbaar’s run-scoring fielder’s choice and Edwin Figuera’s triple putting the Spikes out in front.
Seth Lancaster drilled a game-tying homer in the sixth, though, to force extras. Lancaster’s two-run shot to right field was his first as a member of the Crosscutters (25-36).
Figuera collected a double and a triple for the Spikes in the nightcap.
In the completion of the suspended game, the Spikes carried forward the Thursday night efforts and staved off the Crosscutters. State College starting pitcher Jacob Schlesener had tied a Spikes single-game record with 10 strikeouts over the first four innings, matching Will Anderson, Fernando Baez, Juan Perez and Daniel Castano in the franchise record book.
The right-hander gave up two hits and a walk while recording his first nine outs via strikeout.
State College took the lead on Thursday with Nick Dunn’s third home run of the season, a solo shot to the right field bleachers, in the first, then tacked on two more runs in the opening frame on Kevin Woodall, Jr.’s double and Alexis Wilson’s RBI groundout.
Dunn, who was promoted to Single-A Peoria on Monday, finished his Spikes tenure with a .274 average, three home runs and 32 RBI over 51 games.
Michael Baird (2-2) earned the win in relief of Schlesener in the suspended game, throwing four scoreless innings of three-hit ball and recording one strikeout. Kevin Hamann (9) pitched the ninth and finished the shutout after allowing one walk. Hamann is now tied for the New York-Penn League lead in saves.
Winston Nicacio (3-2) picked up the win in the second game, allowing one run on two hits and two walks over 2 1/3 innings of relief. Nicacio also struck out two batters.
Manuel Silva (1-4) started for Williamsport on Thursday and took the loss in the suspended game. Silva allowed all three Spikes runs on a total of three hits and two walks while striking out three batters over four innings.
Reliever Abdallah Aris (2-4) drew the loss in game two, giving up the game-winning run on a total of two hits and three intentional walks over 1 1/3 innings.
The Spikes and Crosscutters now continue what is officially a three-game series with a pair of contests at BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday’s 7:05 p.m. matchup will feature Schlesener (2-3) back on the mound for his first start after his record-tying performance against the Crosscutters on Thursday.
Schlesener will be opposed by Williamsport right-hander Francisco Morales (3-3).
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