State College, PA- The Frederick Keys fell to the State College Spikes in game one of the two-game series Saturday night, losing 4-4 with the Spikes winning the sudden death tiebreaker at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
The Keys came from behind to tie the game at four apiece heading into the ninth inning after trailing by two going into the seventh, but the Spikes held the Keys scoreless in the sudden death frame to secure the series opening victory Saturday night.
Irvin Weems (San Diego St) started the night off strong for Frederick with a leadoff triple, and eventually scored after an RBI groundout from Brody Fahr (Presbyterian), making it 1-0 heading into the second in State College.
After Tom Sun (Augustana) threw a scoreless bottom of the second to keep it 1-0, Jadyn Fielder (TNXL Academy) hit a solo homer to increase the lead to two through two and a half innings of play, with that home run representing the first long ball hit by Fielder of the season.
State College however got two runs in the bottom of the third off an RBI single and an RBI fielder’s choice, tying the game at two apiece entering the fourth at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
The Spikes took their first lead in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI triple and single, handing the home team a 4-2 advantage approaching the fifth, with the Keys now down by two.
Following a scoreless fifth inning for both sides, P.J. Labriola (North Carolina State) got a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth inning, taking the contest into the seventh with the Keys still down by only two in Happy Valley.
Weems cut the deficit to just one on a solo homer to left-center field, and Labriola tossed another scoreless inning in the seventh, keeping the Keys in it going into the eighth, with Frederick now only down by one at 4-3.
Irvin Escobar (Bethune-Cookman) tied the game on an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth, making it 4-4 through eight innings of play Saturday night, as Valek Cisneros (Central Oklahoma) got a scoreless bottom of the eighth on the hill.
After each team went scoreless in the ninth, the game advanced to sudden death, with the Keys heading out on offense to try and win it in sudden death.
However, the Keys went scoreless in the frame and fell to the Spikes in game one of the two-game series Saturday night, after falling in sudden death to State College by a score of 4-4, with the Spikes winning the tiebreaker.
The Keys conclude the four-game road trip Sunday night against the Spikes, with first pitch from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park set for 6:35 p.m.
