STATE COLLEGE, PA – The Frederick Keys fell in the second game of a three-game series to the State College Spikes Monday afternoon, losing by a score of 10-1 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
The Spikes scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh and took a late lead at home, splitting the first two games and forcing a winner-take-all game three Tuesday night in Happy Valley.
After both sides went off the board to begin the day, Jake Hunter (East Carolina) recorded two strikeouts in the bottom of the second to keep it a scoreless game heading into the third in game two of the three-game series.
Cam Hassert (Loyola Marymount) handed the Keys an early 1-0 lead in the top of the third on an RBI single, but a dropped third strike in the bottom of the frame tied things back up at one apiece approaching the fourth at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Following both teams going off the board in fourth, Hunter picked up another zero in the bottom of the fifth, taking the contest to the sixth with the Keys and Spikes still knotted at one apiece in Happy Valley.
With both sides once again going off the board this time in the sixth inning, the Spikes took the lead during the bottom of the seventh with three runs scored on an RBI double, a Keys error, and an RBI triple, giving State College a 4-1 advantage approaching the eighth Monday afternoon.
The home team in State College put home six more runs in the bottom of the eighth, taking a nine-run lead at 10-1 heading into the ninth in State College.
From there, the Keys went down in order in the top of the ninth as State College picked up the home victory by a score of 10-1 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
The Keys conclude the three-game series with the Spikes in their last regular season road game of the season Tuesday night, with first pitch in the series finale set for 6:35 p.m. at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
