STATE COLLEGE, PA – The Frederick Keys finished their season-long eight-game road trip with a series win against the State College Spikes, winning the series finale by a score of 4-2 Tuesday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
The Keys scored three late runs to take the lead in the seventh and eighth innings over the Spikes, as they conclude the eight-game road trip with a 4-4 record heading into a seven-game homestand to finish the regular season starting on Thursday.
After both offenses had a 1-2-3 frame of offense in the first inning, Esteban Rodriguez (Richmond) got his first strikeout in the bottom of his second to escape a jam, keeping it a scoreless game through two innings in the series finale.
Following a scoreless third inning for both sides, the Spikes took the lead in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of an RBI single, handing the home team a 1-0 lead heading into the fifth Tuesday night.
With both teams going off the board in the fifth, Cam Hassert (Loyola Marymount) tied the game on an RBI single to right, but State College responded with an RBI of their own in the bottom of the frame to give the Spikes the lead right back at 2-1 entering the seventh at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Frederick took its first lead of the night on two two-out RBI singles from Taj Bates (Southern) and Cam Pittman (Virginia Tech), and it remained a 3-2 game going into the eighth after Ian Cooke (Connecticut) retired the Spikes in order during the bottom of the seventh.
Irvin Escobar (Bethune-Cookman) put Frederick up by two in the eighth after getting an RBI single of his own, as the Keys took a 4-2 lead approaching the ninth in the final regular season road game of the season.
Davis Smith (Georgia Southern) threw a scoreless ninth inning to finish the job for Frederick, winning the series finale by a score of 4-2 in Happy Valley.
The Keys return home for a seven-game homestand beginning on Thursday with a two-game series against the Trenton Thunder, with first pitch Thursday night set for 7 p.m. at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium. Thursday’s game represents Ft. Detrick Night presented by En-Net Services.
