UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Dawson Bailey recorded his second four-hit game of the weekend and Colin Adams delivered a double and a triple as he knocked in two runs, with both helping the State College Spikes draw to within a game of the Williamsport Crosscutters thanks to a 6-3 win over Williamsport on Sunday afternoon at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
The Spikes (20-14) and Crosscutters (20-12) will not meet again in the 2022 MLB Draft League regular season but will monitor each other over the last six games. State College will host Mahoning Valley and Trenton for three games apiece starting on Tuesday, while Williamsport hosts Trenton for a three-game set, then heads to Frederick for their last three games of the regular season next weekend.
The team with the better record at the end of the regular season will head to Monongalia County Ballpark on Tuesday, September 6 to face the first-half champion West Virginia Black Bears in the MLB Draft League Championship Game.
Bailey contributed two singles and two doubles, increasing his season total to 14 in the latter category. The Niagara product still tops the MLB Draft League in doubles for the second half and produced his quartet of hits two days after a 4-for-5 game in Williamsport on Friday.
Adams, who was a late entry into Sunday’s lineup, produced the Spikes’ (20-14) first run with his double to left-center field in the fourth inning. The LIU product the followed by swatting a ball off the left-field wall and legging out his second triple of the season to bring in a run in the fifth.
The Spikes also wore special Hockey Jerseys for the game, which went up for bids in a Jersey-off-the-Back Auction presented by PSECU to benefit Children’s Miracle Network at Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital.
Spikes starter Brendan Knoll (2-3) was tenacious on the mound, holding the Crosscutters off the board for the first four innings. Knoll kept posting zeroes despite the leadoff man reaching base in each frame and Williamsport collecting a total of five hits, including three doubles.
State College broke through for two runs in the fourth to take the lead on Adams’s triple and Nick Gile’s sacrifice fly, but Williamsport responded by tying the game on E.J. Taylor’s two-run single to left-center field in the fifth.
The Spikes then took a lead they would not relinquish by scoring four runs in the fifth, three of them with two outs. Trent Taylor brought in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to right field, followed by an RBI single from Devin Buckner, an RBI double from Brock Reller and Adams’s triple.
Williamsport scored another run on a bases-loaded walk in the eighth, but Tristen Hudson (7) ended the threat by striking out Taylor and forcing Travis Holt to ground out before allowing just one walk in a scoreless ninth to notch the save.
Knoll allowed a total of two runs on eight hits and two walks, one of them intentional, while striking out six batters over five innings for the win.
Williamsport starter Blair Frederick (3-1) took the loss after yielding six runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out three batters over five innings.
Taylor Jackson also posted four hits for Williamsport, including a double.
After an off day on Monday, the Spikes start their series against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers with a 6:35 p.m. matchup on Tuesday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Right-hander Louis Davenport III (2-0), who posted a Spikes record-tying 12 strikeouts two weeks ago and followed it up with nine more strikeouts over six one-run innings last Tuesday, makes his third straight start against the Scrappers. Mahoning Valley has not yet named its starting pitcher for the series opener.
Fans will enjoy the last $2 Walking Taco Tuesday of the season presented by WOWY, featuring $2 Walking Tacos all night long at the beefed-up Salsa stand behind home plate. Plus, it’s Medieval Night at the ballpark, featuring Knight Fights on the field during the night.
More highlights of the Spikes’ season-ending homestand include another bobblehead giveaway/special appearance combo as Michael Mauti, the heart and soul of the 2012 “Iron Lions,” will be on hand as part of the night’s activities on Saturday, September 3. Mauti’s bobblehead also going to the first 1,000 fans of all ages, presented by Penn State Health.
In addition, fans will be thrilled by the chance to see another spectacular display light up the Happy Valley skies from the ballpark infield as part of FIREWORKS from the Field, with **Starfire Corporation **presenting the show on Sunday, September 4 at the **Fan Appreciation Night **regular season finale presented by Lion Country Kia, featuring one LuCKy fan driving home a winner with LuCKy’s Kia Giveaway.
Plus, fans will enjoy **Summerween **on Wednesday, August 31, and the last **Bark in the Park **of the season, presented by the Centre Daily Times, on Friday, September 2.
A nearly full slate of **Daily Fan Value Promotions **will also be available, including two more Super Saturdays thanks to the **PA Lottery **and B94.5.
Tickets for each of the six games remaining on the Spikes’ biggest regular season home schedule in franchise history are available now. Tickets can be purchased by calling (814) 272-1711 or by visiting the Spikes Ticket Office in person from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Fans can also buy and download single-game tickets, and view the full 2022 promotional schedule, at the only source for authentic Spikes tickets online by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.
More ticket packages, including an array of group and hospitality options for the 2022 season and for football Saturdays in the fall, are currently on sale by calling the Spikes at (814) 272-1711. Additional information on all club ticketing options, as well as team news and schedule info, can be viewed at StateCollegeSpikes.com.
Catch all the action of the Spikes’ game on Tuesday via the Spikes Radio Network presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, Official Healthcare Provider of Penn State Athletics with **Steve Jones **and Joe Putnam on the call. The broadcast starts with Spikes Live! presented by Mount Nittany Health, on the air from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park starting at approximately 6:10 p.m.
The game can be viewed worldwide on the **MLB Draft League **streaming platform at MLBDraftLeague.com/streaming, along with the “Listen Live” link on StateCollegeSpikes.com and the **TuneIn Radio **app.
