State College, PA- The Frederick Keys fell to the State College Spikes in the team’s final road game of the first half, losing by a score of 6-4 Sunday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
The Keys took a 4-3 lead midway through the contest, but three unanswered runs by State College proved to be the difference Sunday night, as Frederick returns home to begin a five-game homestand on Tuesday against the West Virginia Black Bears.
State College got a run home in the bottom of the first on an RBI single from Robert Hipwell, giving the home team an early 1-0 lead through an inning of play in the series finale Sunday night.
The Spikes added two more runs in the bottom of the second on an RBI single and an error, but a strikeout from Wyatt Evans (Tennessee) ended the inning with the Keys down by just three.
An RBI groundout from Jordan Williams (Florida St) cut the deficit to two at 3-1 heading into the fourth, after Sempa Shawali Sherican (Uganda Baseball) threw a scoreless bottom of the third to keep it a two-run game in State College.
The Keys took their first lead of the night after scoring three runs in the top of the fourth on an RBI walk drawn by Irvin Escobar (Bethune-Cookman) and a two-RBI single from Elijah Clayton (Oaks Christian HS).
Christian Rodriguez (Cal State Fullerton) threw a scoreless bottom of the fourth to keep it a one-run lead for Frederick going into the fifth, and he followed it up with a scoreless fifth inning to allow the Keys to stay ahead at 4-3 entering the sixth at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
State College gained back the lead in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI triple and an RBI single, making it a 5-4 lead going into the seventh, with Frederick looking to respond going into the final three innings of play Sunday night.
An RBI groundout increased the lead to 6-4 for the Spikes entering the eighth, but the damage was limited to just one after Rodriguez recorded his third strikeout of the night in relief to keep his team in it through seven innings.
Following a scoreless top of the eighth for the Keys offense, Dawson Netz (Arizona) recorded two strikeouts in the bottom of the frame to take the game into the ninth, with the Keys needing two runs to tie it with the score at 6-4 in favor of State College.
The Keys however went scoreless in the top of the ninth, as the Spikes took down the Keys for the second straight day as a result, winning the series finale by a score of 6-4.
The Keys return home to begin a five-game homestand to finish out the first half, with their next game taking place against the West Virginia Black Bears on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
Tuesday’s game will feature Taphouse Tuesday at the ballpark, meaning that local craft breweries will have specials at the 4 ½ Innings Taphouse throughout the ballgame.
